The crayfish plague fungus: history and recent advances
Published Online:
Abstract
The crayfish plague is the most serious disease on freshwater crayfish and it has wiped out numerous crayfish populations in Europe. This disease is caused by a fungus-like organism belonging to the Oomycetes named Aphanomyces astaci Schikora, 1903. In the present article we review the history of the crayfish plague in Europe, the life cycle of the fungus, its physiology, and the mechanisms of host infection. Furthermore, we discuss the problem of introduction of various genotypes of Aphanomyces astaci into Europe by American crayfish species as well as their transmission to native species and spreading throughout Europe. At the end the host-parasite interaction and the immune response of crayfish is outlined.
Supplemental Documents
There are no supplementary documents for this article

Cited By
Citations:
How to Cite
Söderhäll K and Cerenius L. (1999). The crayfish plague fungus: history and recent advances. Freshwater Crayfish 12(1):11-35. doi:
Author Information
Authorship information for this paper are currently unavailable.
Publication History
Manuscript Submitted:
Manuscript Accepted:
Published Online:
Published in Print:
Funding Information
No specific funding statement is available for this article.