Fasting reduces viral susceptibility in oysters until energy depletion becomes detrimental

While abundant food supplies support host immunity, they may also fuel pathogen proliferation, whereas food limitation restricts resources for both host and parasite. The balance between these processes, and the physiological limits to fasting as a protective strategy, remain poorly understood. Here, we tested how the duration and timing of food deprivation relative to pathogen exposure affect resistance to infection, using the oyster Magallana gigas and its pathogen, Ostreid herpesvirus 1. We used a cross-over design with two sequences differing in the timing of starvation relative to infection. We hypothesized that (i) survival would increase with fasting duration until a threshold is reached where energy depletion becomes detrimental, and (ii) fasting would only protect when it immediately precedes infection, because its effect relies on reduced host metabolism. Consistent with these hypotheses, oysters fasted immediately before infection showed increased survival peaking after 14-28..., , # Fasting reduces viral susceptibility in oysters until energy depletion becomes detrimental

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.44j0zpcvd](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.44j0zpcvd)

## Description of the data and file structure

This dataset contains measurements obtained during controlled oyster feeding and starvation experiments during exposure to a viral disease. The dataset includes environmental data, survival tracking, morphological measurements, and biochemical analyses. All data are contained in tab-delimited files with a comma decimal.

#### Env_data.csv

Water chemistry and tank conditions recorded during acclimation (n/a: not applicable, NA: not available).

| Column | Description | Units |
| :----------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------...,