Warmer waters potentially exacerbated by climate change have
become a fertile breeding ground for a new strain of herpes
threatening the western European oyster industry. The strain,
Ostreid herpes virus 1 (OsHV-1) μvar (mew-var), preys on young
breeding Pacific oysters and can decimate as many as 80 percent
of a bed's oysters in a week, according to National Geographic.
It is dormant until water temperatures surpass 61 degrees F (16
degrees C), leading European experts to speculate that climate
change may explain the new virus's appearance. Oyster herpes
can't spread to humans, but dead oysters are unsafe to eat. The
human variety is typically linked to the Herpes simplex viruses,
but other forms of herpes can impact clams, scallops and other
mollusks. There are no symptoms of oyster herpes, so it can only
be detected through laboratory testing. The new strain attacked
French oyster beds in 2008, 2009 and 2010, killing between 20
percent and 100 percent of some oyster beds. The incurable virus
has also kille