Recent Vibrio aestuarianus-associated mortality outbreaks of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) in France.. Vibrio aestuarianus 11-KB19

High throughput sequencing (HTS)-based genome comparison and phylogenetic analysis of 15 strains allowed the grouping of virulent strains within two lineages, independently of the isolation date. This result was confirmed using a larger collection of strains genotyped using a specific marker and challenged by experimental infection. The bacterial lethal dose was not different between strains isolated before or during the recent outbreaks excluding the hypothesis of the emergence a new genotype. However our results highlight an increase of the host sensitivity to V. aestuarianus.