Fish & Wildlife Disease: Reptile Disease
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By Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program
September 29, 2022
Disease causing pathogens are of concern to human and wildlife health and are frequently the number one reported impairment for water resources in the United States.
Reptile Disease
Reptile Disease
Explore our science using the data below.
Explore our science using the publications below.
Filter Total Items: 64
Mycoplasmosis and upper respiratory tract disease of tortoises: a review and update
Tortoise mycoplasmosis is one of the most extensively characterized infectious diseases of chelonians. A 1989 outbreak of upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) in free-ranging Agassiz's desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) brought together an investigative team of researchers, diagnosticians, pathologists, immunologists and clinicians from multiple institutions and agencies. Electron microscopic
Authors
Elliott R. Jacobson, Mary B. Brown, Lori Wendland, Daniel R. Brown, Paul A. Klein, Mary M. Christopher, Kristin H. Berry
Investigating the potential role of persistent organic pollutants in Hawaiian green sea turtle fibropapillomatosis
It has been hypothesized for decades that environmental pollutants may contribute to green sea turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP), possibly through immunosuppression leading to greater susceptibility to the herpesvirus, the putative causative agent of this tumor-forming disease. To address this question, we measured concentrations of 164 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and halogenated phenols in
Authors
Jennifer M. Keller, George H. Balazs, Frances Nilsen, Marc Rice, Thierry M. Work, Brenda A. Jensen
Impacts of upper respiratory tract disease on olfactory behavior of the Mojave desert tortoise
Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) caused by Mycoplasma agassizii is considered a threat to desert tortoise populations that should be addressed as part of the recovery of the species. Clinical signs can be intermittent and include serous or mucoid nasal discharge and respiratory difficulty when nares are occluded. This nasal congestion may result in a loss of the olfactory sense. Turtles are
Authors
Jennifer Germano, Vanessa E. Van Zerr, Todd C. Esque, Ken E. Nussear, Nadine Lamberski
Immunological evaluation of captive green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) with ulcerative dermatitis
Ulcerative dermatitis (UD) is common in captive sea turtles and manifests as skin erosions and ulcers associated with gram-negative bacteria. This study compared clinically healthy and UD-affected captive turtles by evaluating hematology, histopathology, immunoglobulin levels, and delayed-type hypersensitivity assay. Turtles with UD had significantly lower weight, reduced delayed-type hypersensiti
Authors
Fernando Alberto Muñoz, Sergio Estrada-Parra, Andrés Romero-Rojas, Erik Gonzalez-Ballesteros, Thierry M. Work, Hector Villaseñor-Gaona, Iris Estrada-Garcia
Tumors in sea turtles: The insidious menace of fibropapillomatosis
Early in July 2013, a colleague in New Caledonia reported the stranding of a green sea turtle on the far northwest of the island. The animal had washed up dead on a rocky beach with multiple large tumors on its neck and hind flippers. To all appearances, the turtle had fibropapillomatosis (FP), a tumor disease affecting marine turtles globally. This was the first known case of FP on the island—an
Authors
Thierry M. Work, George H. Balazs
The genome of Chelonid herpesvirus 5 harbors atypical genes
The Chelonid fibropapilloma-associated herpesvirus (CFPHV; ChHV5) is believed to be the causative agent of fibropapillomatosis (FP), a neoplastic disease of marine turtles. While clinical signs and pathology of FP are well known, research on ChHV5 has been impeded because no cell culture system for its propagation exists. We have cloned a BAC containing ChHV5 in pTARBAC2.1 and determined its nucle
Authors
Mathias Ackermann, Maxim Koriabine, Fabienne Hartmann-Fritsch, Pieter J. de Jong, Teresa D. Lewis, Nelli Schetle, Thierry M. Work, Julie Dagenais, George H. Balazs, Jo-Ann C. Leong
Serologic and molecular evidence for testudinid herpesvirus 2 infection in wild Agassiz’s desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii
Following field observations of wild Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) with oral lesions similar to those seen in captive tortoises with herpesvirus infection, we measured the prevalence of antibodies to Testudinid herpesvirus (TeHV) 3 in wild populations of desert tortoises in California. The survey revealed 30.9% antibody prevalence. In 2009 and 2010, two wild adult male desert tor
Authors
Elliott R. Jacobson, Kristin H. Berry, James F. X. Wellehan, Francesco Origgi, April L. Childress, Josephine Braun, Mark Schrenzel, Julie Yee, Bruce Rideout
Mycoplasma testudineum in free-ranging desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizii
We performed clinico-pathological evaluations of 11 wild Agassiz's desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) from a translocation project in the central Mojave Desert, California, USA. Group 1 consisted of nine tortoises that were selected primarily due to serologic status, indicating exposure to Mycoplasma testudineum (seven) or both M. agassizii and M. testudineum (two), and secondarily due to clini
Authors
Elliott R. Jacobson, Kristin H. Berry
Relationship between fibropapillomatosis and environmental quality: A case study with Chelonia mydas off Brazil
We documented the presence of fibropapillomatosis (FP), a debilitating tumor-forming disease, in marine turtles in Espírito Santo Bay (Brazil) from March 2007 to April 2008, and assessed the value of a specific environmental index for predicting the prevalence of FP. Turtles were captured monthly with entanglement nets and scored for presence and severity of FP. For the assessment of habitat quali
Authors
Robson G. Santos, Agnaldo Silva Martins, E. Torezani, Cecilia Baptistotte, Julyana da Nobrega Farias, Antunes Paulo Horta, Thierry M. Work, G.H. Balazs
Identification of CD3+ T lymphocytes in the green turtle Chelonia mydas
To understand the role of the immune system with respect to disease in reptiles, there is the need to develop tools to assess the host's immune response. An important tool is the development of molecular markers to identify immune cells, and these are limited for reptiles. We developed a technique for the cryopreservation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and showed that a commercially availab
Authors
F.A. Munoz, S. Estrada-Parra, A. Romero-Rojas, Thierry M. Work, E. Gonzalez-Ballesteros, I. Estrada-Garcia
Postmortem diagnostic investigation of disease in free-ranging marine turtle populations: A review of common pathologic findings and protocols
Over the past few decades, there have been increasing numbers of reports of diseases in marine turtles. Furthermore, in recent years, there have been documented instances of apparently new diseases emerging in these species of which the etiology and/or pathogenesis remain unknown. These instances i) raise concern for the survival of marine turtles, and ii) question the health and stability of the
Authors
Mark Flint, Janet C. Patterson-Kane, C.J. Limpus, Thierry M. Work, David Blair, Paul C. Mills
Epizootiology of spirorchid infection in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Hawaii
We describe the epizootiology of spirorchiid trematode infections in Hawaiian green turtles (Chelonia mydas) by quantifying tissue egg burdens in turtles submitted for necropsy and by assessing antibody response to crude adult worm and egg antigens among a variety of age groups. Hapalotrema sp. and Laeredius sp. predominated in turtles infected with spirorchiids. Tissue egg burdens decreased with
Authors
Thierry M. Work, George H. Balazs, Jody L. Schumacher, Amarisa Marie
Disease causing pathogens are of concern to human and wildlife health and are frequently the number one reported impairment for water resources in the United States.
Reptile Disease
Reptile Disease
Explore our science using the data below.
Explore our science using the publications below.
Filter Total Items: 64
Mycoplasmosis and upper respiratory tract disease of tortoises: a review and update
Tortoise mycoplasmosis is one of the most extensively characterized infectious diseases of chelonians. A 1989 outbreak of upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) in free-ranging Agassiz's desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) brought together an investigative team of researchers, diagnosticians, pathologists, immunologists and clinicians from multiple institutions and agencies. Electron microscopic
Authors
Elliott R. Jacobson, Mary B. Brown, Lori Wendland, Daniel R. Brown, Paul A. Klein, Mary M. Christopher, Kristin H. Berry
Investigating the potential role of persistent organic pollutants in Hawaiian green sea turtle fibropapillomatosis
It has been hypothesized for decades that environmental pollutants may contribute to green sea turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP), possibly through immunosuppression leading to greater susceptibility to the herpesvirus, the putative causative agent of this tumor-forming disease. To address this question, we measured concentrations of 164 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and halogenated phenols in
Authors
Jennifer M. Keller, George H. Balazs, Frances Nilsen, Marc Rice, Thierry M. Work, Brenda A. Jensen
Impacts of upper respiratory tract disease on olfactory behavior of the Mojave desert tortoise
Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) caused by Mycoplasma agassizii is considered a threat to desert tortoise populations that should be addressed as part of the recovery of the species. Clinical signs can be intermittent and include serous or mucoid nasal discharge and respiratory difficulty when nares are occluded. This nasal congestion may result in a loss of the olfactory sense. Turtles are
Authors
Jennifer Germano, Vanessa E. Van Zerr, Todd C. Esque, Ken E. Nussear, Nadine Lamberski
Immunological evaluation of captive green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) with ulcerative dermatitis
Ulcerative dermatitis (UD) is common in captive sea turtles and manifests as skin erosions and ulcers associated with gram-negative bacteria. This study compared clinically healthy and UD-affected captive turtles by evaluating hematology, histopathology, immunoglobulin levels, and delayed-type hypersensitivity assay. Turtles with UD had significantly lower weight, reduced delayed-type hypersensiti
Authors
Fernando Alberto Muñoz, Sergio Estrada-Parra, Andrés Romero-Rojas, Erik Gonzalez-Ballesteros, Thierry M. Work, Hector Villaseñor-Gaona, Iris Estrada-Garcia
Tumors in sea turtles: The insidious menace of fibropapillomatosis
Early in July 2013, a colleague in New Caledonia reported the stranding of a green sea turtle on the far northwest of the island. The animal had washed up dead on a rocky beach with multiple large tumors on its neck and hind flippers. To all appearances, the turtle had fibropapillomatosis (FP), a tumor disease affecting marine turtles globally. This was the first known case of FP on the island—an
Authors
Thierry M. Work, George H. Balazs
The genome of Chelonid herpesvirus 5 harbors atypical genes
The Chelonid fibropapilloma-associated herpesvirus (CFPHV; ChHV5) is believed to be the causative agent of fibropapillomatosis (FP), a neoplastic disease of marine turtles. While clinical signs and pathology of FP are well known, research on ChHV5 has been impeded because no cell culture system for its propagation exists. We have cloned a BAC containing ChHV5 in pTARBAC2.1 and determined its nucle
Authors
Mathias Ackermann, Maxim Koriabine, Fabienne Hartmann-Fritsch, Pieter J. de Jong, Teresa D. Lewis, Nelli Schetle, Thierry M. Work, Julie Dagenais, George H. Balazs, Jo-Ann C. Leong
Serologic and molecular evidence for testudinid herpesvirus 2 infection in wild Agassiz’s desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii
Following field observations of wild Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) with oral lesions similar to those seen in captive tortoises with herpesvirus infection, we measured the prevalence of antibodies to Testudinid herpesvirus (TeHV) 3 in wild populations of desert tortoises in California. The survey revealed 30.9% antibody prevalence. In 2009 and 2010, two wild adult male desert tor
Authors
Elliott R. Jacobson, Kristin H. Berry, James F. X. Wellehan, Francesco Origgi, April L. Childress, Josephine Braun, Mark Schrenzel, Julie Yee, Bruce Rideout
Mycoplasma testudineum in free-ranging desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizii
We performed clinico-pathological evaluations of 11 wild Agassiz's desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) from a translocation project in the central Mojave Desert, California, USA. Group 1 consisted of nine tortoises that were selected primarily due to serologic status, indicating exposure to Mycoplasma testudineum (seven) or both M. agassizii and M. testudineum (two), and secondarily due to clini
Authors
Elliott R. Jacobson, Kristin H. Berry
Relationship between fibropapillomatosis and environmental quality: A case study with Chelonia mydas off Brazil
We documented the presence of fibropapillomatosis (FP), a debilitating tumor-forming disease, in marine turtles in Espírito Santo Bay (Brazil) from March 2007 to April 2008, and assessed the value of a specific environmental index for predicting the prevalence of FP. Turtles were captured monthly with entanglement nets and scored for presence and severity of FP. For the assessment of habitat quali
Authors
Robson G. Santos, Agnaldo Silva Martins, E. Torezani, Cecilia Baptistotte, Julyana da Nobrega Farias, Antunes Paulo Horta, Thierry M. Work, G.H. Balazs
Identification of CD3+ T lymphocytes in the green turtle Chelonia mydas
To understand the role of the immune system with respect to disease in reptiles, there is the need to develop tools to assess the host's immune response. An important tool is the development of molecular markers to identify immune cells, and these are limited for reptiles. We developed a technique for the cryopreservation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and showed that a commercially availab
Authors
F.A. Munoz, S. Estrada-Parra, A. Romero-Rojas, Thierry M. Work, E. Gonzalez-Ballesteros, I. Estrada-Garcia
Postmortem diagnostic investigation of disease in free-ranging marine turtle populations: A review of common pathologic findings and protocols
Over the past few decades, there have been increasing numbers of reports of diseases in marine turtles. Furthermore, in recent years, there have been documented instances of apparently new diseases emerging in these species of which the etiology and/or pathogenesis remain unknown. These instances i) raise concern for the survival of marine turtles, and ii) question the health and stability of the
Authors
Mark Flint, Janet C. Patterson-Kane, C.J. Limpus, Thierry M. Work, David Blair, Paul C. Mills
Epizootiology of spirorchid infection in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Hawaii
We describe the epizootiology of spirorchiid trematode infections in Hawaiian green turtles (Chelonia mydas) by quantifying tissue egg burdens in turtles submitted for necropsy and by assessing antibody response to crude adult worm and egg antigens among a variety of age groups. Hapalotrema sp. and Laeredius sp. predominated in turtles infected with spirorchiids. Tissue egg burdens decreased with
Authors
Thierry M. Work, George H. Balazs, Jody L. Schumacher, Amarisa Marie