Pathogenicity of animal and plant parasitic Aphanomyces spp and their economic impact on aquaculture and agriculture

Parasitic Aphanomyces species are a global threat to agri- and aquaculture, causing multimillion USD damage every year. Via the global trade, Aphanomyces has spread across all continents with exception of South America and Antarctica, and has become a major problem in pea, sugar beet, fish and crayfish production. The widespread A. euteiches and A. cochlioides induce root rot diseases in leguminous species and sugar beet respectively. The fish pathogen A. invadans is the causative agent of Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome in various fish species whilst A. astaci infects crayfishes causing crayfish plague. Aphanomyces have developed an efficient transmission and infection mechanism which allows a rapid colonization and disruption of the host's infected tissues. This review presents an overview on the current research on Aphanomyces genus. We summarise the latest research efforts on four pathogenic Aphanomyces species, shedding light on the biology of these microorganisms, the pathogenicity factors of these parasites, the diseases which they cause, their distribution and finally the strategies to control the diseases.