title: Potentially toxic filamentous fungi associated to the economically important Nodipecten nodosus (Linnaeus, 1758) scallop farmed in southeastern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
abstract: Numerous countries have been confronted with infectious diseases in mariculture activities, including fungi infections, although reports in scallops are scarce. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the occurrence of filamentous fungi in Nodipecten nodosus specimens from three marine farms in Southeastern Brazil. Eight fungi genera were observed in the branchial arches, intestine and muscle tissue of the scallop specimens. These include potentially toxin-producing species, such as Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium. Their presence may lead to potential public health concerns, since all sampling sites showed the presence of fungi in all scallop organs, with special concern regarding edible muscle tissue. A significant number of species was observed at one of the study areas, which could indicate a previously unknown source of contamination, since increases in fungi species richness in polluted coastal waters have been reported. This is also, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of Pestalotiopsis in shellfish.
authors.affiliation: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, CEP 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: santoslucia1303@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Antônia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Centro de Estudos da Saúde do Trabalhador e Ecologia Humana, CEP 21041210 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Neotropical, CEP 22290-240 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rachel Ann
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hauser-Davis
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, DCB/ENSP-FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Manoel José Soares
authors.initials: MJS
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, CEP 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Salvatore Giovani
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: De Simone
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D049897:Pectinidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D012758:Shellfish / Q000382:microbiology
keywords: Aquatic filamentous fungi; Brazil; Mollusks; Public health concerns; Scallop; Toxic fungi