CUTANEOUS MYIASIS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO WELLNESS IN EASTERN BOX TURTLES (TERRAPENE CAROLINA CAROLINA) IN CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS

Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) face a variety of anthropogenic, infectious, and environmental threats and have been affected by high morbidity and mortality disease events. Wellness parameters in free-ranging eastern box turtles with a high prevalence of myiasis on Cape Cod, MA, were documented to identify epidemiologic trends or associations with several health parameters. There were 109 samples collected from 59 individual box turtles over the course of 4 mon. Six turtles died over the course of this study. Fly larvae infestations varied in severity and were observed in the cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue (n = 18; 30.5%). Animals with myiasis had fewer plastron abnormalities than those without (P = 0.034), and all turtles found in bogs had evidence of fly larvae infections (P < 0.0001). Individuals with myiasis also had lower body condition index (P = 0.014), lower total white blood cells (P = 0.031), lower PCV (P < 0.0001), lower total solids (P < 0.0001), higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P < 0.0001), lower calcium (P = 0.018), and lower phosphorus (P = 0.017). Three turtles tested positive for terrapene herpesvirus 1, but presence was not associated with myiasis. Heavy metal analysis revealed no significant differences between turtles with and without myiasis. This study examined the health of a population of eastern box turtles, and continued health assessments will be beneficial in determining the impact of myiasis on future conservation plans.

A novel herpesvirus from a wild-caught Madagascar spider tortoise shows evidence of host-viral coevolution with a duplication event in Durocryptodira

Herpesviruses can be significant reptile pathogens. Herpesviral infection in a wild-caught, male spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) under human care was detected during a routine wellness examination prior to transition between zoologic organizations. The tortoise had no clinical signs of illness. Oral swabs obtained during a physical examination as part of pre-shipment risk mitigation for infectious disease were submitted for consensus herpesvirus PCR assay and sequencing. Based on comparative sequence analysis, the novel herpesvirus identified is a member of the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae. Studies of herpesviral phylogeny in chelonian species support branching patterns of turtle herpesviruses that closely mirror those of their hosts. The symmetry of these patterns is suggestive of close codivergence of turtle herpesviruses with their host species. The distribution of these viruses in both tortoises and emydids suggests a phylogenetic duplication event in the herpesviruses after host divergence of the Pleurodira and basal to the divergence of Americhelydia. Herpesviral infections have been documented to cause higher morbidity when introduced to aberrant host species, and significant consideration must be given to the presence of herpesviruses in the management of tortoise collections, particularly collections that include various species of testudines.

Diagnostics of Infectious Respiratory Pathogens in Reptiles

Methods for the detection of pathogens associated with respiratory disease in reptiles, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, are constantly evolving as is the understanding of the specific roles played by various pathogens in disease processes. Some are known to be primary pathogens with high prevalence in captive reptiles, for example, serpentoviruses in pythons or mycoplasma in tortoises. Others are very commonly found in reptiles with respiratory disease but are most often considered secondary, for example, gram-negative bacteria. Detection methods as well as specific pathogens associated with upper- and lower-respiratory disease are discussed.

The role of Virus "X" (Tortoise Picornavirus) in kidney disease and shell weakness syndrome in European tortoise species determined by experimental infection

Tortoise Picornavirus (ToPV) commonly known as Virus "X" was recently discovered in juvenile European tortoises suffering from soft carapace and plastron as well as kidney disease. Therefore, this virus was a potential candidate to be a causative agent for these disease patterns. Spur thighed tortoises (Testudo graeca) seemed to be more susceptible to establish clinical symptoms than other European species like T. hermanni. Thus this trial investigated the role of ToPV in the described syndrome. Two groups of juvenile European tortoises (T. graeca and T.hermanni) each of 10 animals, were cloacally, oronasally and intracoelomically inoculated with an infectious dose (~ 2000 TICD) of a ToPV strain isolated from a diseased T. graeca. A control group of two animals of each species received non-infected cell culture supernatant. The tortoises were examined daily and pharyngeal and cloacal swabs for detection of ToPV-RNA by RT-PCR were taken from each animal every six days for a period of 6 months. At the end of the study the remaining animals were euthanised and dissected. Bacteriological and parasitological tests were performed and organ samples of all tortoises were investigated by RT-PCR for the presence of ToPV and histopathology. Animals that were euthanised at the end of the experiment, were examined for presence of specific anti-ToPV antibodies. Several animals in both inoculated groups showed retarded growth and a light shell weakness, in comparison to the control animals. Three animals were euthanised during the trial, showing reduced weight gain, retarded growth, severe shell weakness and apathy, in parallel to clinical observations in naturally infected animals. In all inoculated animals of both species an intermittent virus shedding, starting from 18 days post inoculation (d.p.i.), till 164 d.p.i. was detected, while the control animals remained negative. The virus was successfully reisolated in terrapene heart cell culture in 16 of 20 inoculated animals of both species. Histopathology of most inoculated animals revealed a lack of bone remodeling and vacuolisation in kidney tubuli which supports the described pathogenesis of nephropathy and osteodystrophy. Anti- ToPV antibody titres ranged from 1:2 to >1:256 in 13 of 20 animals, whereas all control animals were seronegative. The study proofed the Henle Koch`s postulates of ToPV as causative agent for shell dystrophy and kidney disease in both testudo species. The proposed species specific sensitivity towards clinical disease was not observed.