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Bacteremia in free-ranging Hawaiian green turtles, Chelonia mydas, with fibropapillomatosis

January 1, 2003

Past studies of free-ranging green turtles Chelonia mydas with fibropapillomatosis (FP) in Hawaii have shown that animals become immunosuppressed with increasing severity of this disease. Additionally, preliminary clinical examination of moribund turtles with FP revealed that some animals were also bacteraemic. We tested the hypothesis that bacteraemia in sea turtles is associated with the severity of FP. We captured free-ranging green turtles from areas in Hawaii where FP is absent, and areas where FP has been endemic since the late 1950s. Each turtle was given an FP severity score ranging from 0 (no tumours) to 3 (severely affected). A fifth category included turtles that were stranded ashore and moribund with FP. We found that the percentage of turtles with bacteraemia increased with the severity of FP, and that the majority of bacteria cultured were Vibrio spp. Turtles with severe FP were more susceptible to bactaeremia, probably in part due to immunosuppression. The pattern of bacteraemia in relation to severity of disease strengthens the hypothesis that immunosuppression is a sequel to FP.

Publication Year 2003
Title Bacteremia in free-ranging Hawaiian green turtles, Chelonia mydas, with fibropapillomatosis
DOI 10.3354/dao053041
Authors Thierry M. Work, G.H. Balazs, M. Wolcott, Robert Morris
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Diseases of Aquatic Organisms
Index ID 1003689
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization National Wildlife Health Center