Abstract

Juvenile 4-5 month old green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) were presented having a respiratory disease manifested by buoyancy abnormalities as seen by swimming at an angle to the horizontal. Most animals were thin with consistent plastronal lesions. Necropsy revealed an emphysematous left lung and a consolidated nodular right lung. Histological examination of the right lung showed multifocal granulomas with a central core of caseated material. GMS staining demonstrated branching septate hyphae within the central core of the granulomas. Sporotrichium sp., Cladosporium sp., and Paecilomyces sp. were cultured from lung tissue of several turtles.

Notes

Economically Important Reptiles

• Crocodile farm in Bankok, Thailand

• Sea turtles

  • 5 general

  • the Atlantic Ridling is endangered

  • turtle farm in Cayman Islands resembles cattle raising facilities

Bleeding Turtles

• Cardiac puncture - through the plastron (ventral part of animal) in young turtles.

• Neck sinus - in adults

An artificial diet for turtles has been formulated.

Disease

• Gray patch - Herpes virus. Papules coalesce into patches. Basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies can be demonstrated.
• Mycotic pneumonia
• Gross pathology
  • lung - white, firm nodules.
  • liver small, white nodules.
• Histopathology
  • hyperplasia of respiratory epithelium.
  • nodules demonstrated as being multiple granulomas with caseated centers. These granulomas could rupture into the airways and be coughed up to plug sections of the lung.
• Diagnosis
  • PAS stain showed septate branching hyphae with spores in evidence.
  • Sabouraud's culture grew Paecilomyces.
  • No bacteria or viruses were demonstrated on culture.

Since aspergillosis can occur by entering chicken eggs, it is suspected that Paecilomyces could infect embryonic turtles via the egg.

This disease always starts in the cooler months of the year with February showing peak mortality of turtles. The water temperature at this time drops below 25°C and turtle susceptibility may be greater under these conditions.

Turtle mortality decreases after 8-10 mos. of age, possibly due to development of the immune system.