ANNAPOLIS — Maryland experts says fewer oysters in the Chesapeake Bay are dying from parasitic diseases.

State biologists say it's a hopeful sign, but the oyster population hasn't increased.
Tests by the Department of Natural Resources last fall showed most oysters in Maryland's portion of the bay are infected, but seem to be more resilient.

The bay's oysters have been infected for more than two decades by Dermo and MSX. The parasites have killed up to 90 percent of the oysters in some parts of the bay.

The state survey showed only about 17 percent of the oysters sampled last fall had died recently. The low percentage is even more remarkable because the bay has been saltier than normal, allowing the diseases to spread more easily.