USA CLAM DISEASE QPX TEST DEVELOPED
January 1st, 2005
BY MONICA DOBIE
A NEW genetic test that can detect devastating clam disease QPX has been developed by American scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), in Cape Cod Massachusetts. They claim the test is sensitive enough to detect the QPX organism not only in clams, but also in seawater and sediment. It can even ensure clams without visible symptoms are not carrying the disease. QPX, code for 'quahog parasite unknown', spreads from clam to clam by secreting a thick mucus layer to insulate itself from the clam's immune system. The disease has ...
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