Two herpesviruses associated with disease in wild Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta)

Herpesviruses are associated with lung-eye-trachea disease and gray patch disease in maricultured green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and with fibropapillomatosis in wild sea turtles of several species. With the exception fibropapillomatosis, no other diseases of wild sea turtles of any species have been...

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Published inVeterinary microbiology Vol. 126; no. 1; pp. 63 - 73
Main Authors Stacy, B.A, Wellehan, J.F.X, Foley, A.M, Coberley, S.S, Herbst, L.Y, Manire, C.A, Garner, M.M, Brookins, M.D, Childress, A.L, Jacobson, E.R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 2006
Subjects
animal organs
animal pathology
Caretta caretta
Chelonivirus
disease detection
disease diagnosis
emerging diseases
epidemiological studies
genitalia
Herpesviridae
histopathology
loggerhead genital-respiratory herpesvirus
loggerhead orocutaneous herpesvirus
microbial genetics
molecular epidemiology
mouth
new genus
pathogen identification
phylogeny
polymerase chain reaction
respiratory system
sea turtles
skin
viral diseases of animals and humans
wildlife diseases
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Summary:Herpesviruses are associated with lung-eye-trachea disease and gray patch disease in maricultured green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and with fibropapillomatosis in wild sea turtles of several species. With the exception fibropapillomatosis, no other diseases of wild sea turtles of any species have been associated with herpesviral infection. In the present study, six necropsied Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) had gross and histological evidence of viral infection, including oral, respiratory, cutaneous, and genital lesions characterized by necrosis, ulceration, syncytial cell formation, and intranuclear inclusion bodies. Nested polymerase chain reaction targeting a conserved region of the herpesvirus DNA-dependent-DNA polymerase gene yielded two unique herpesviral sequences referred to as loggerhead genital-respiratory herpesvirus and loggerhead orocutaneous herpesvirus. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that these viruses are related to and are monophyletic with other chelonian herpesviruses within the subfamily α-herpesvirinae. We propose the genus Chelonivirus for this monophyletic group of chelonian herpesviruses.
Bibliography:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2007.07.002
ISSN:0378-1135
1873-2542