Abstract
Mass mortality events have been reported among bivalve mollusks in association with the detection of viruses, including iridolike viruses. Different findings provide a presumptive link between the detection of these iridolike viruses in different bivalve species and mortality events. Although the presumptive link is substantial, definitive demonstration of viral etiology of the diseases must be accomplished by experimental transmission. In addition, the exact identification of these viruses has thus not been carried out. In this context, the term “iridolike viruses” needs to be used because their exact affiliation remains to be found. Due to the lack of mollusk cell lines and limited application of molecular tools, virology of bivalves is still a relatively primitive science based largely on morphological studies and a few in vivo experimental studies.
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