Evaluation of the Respiratory Microbiome and the Use of Tracheal Lavage as a Diagnostic Tool in Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys kempii).

ABSTRACT: Respiratory disease is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in sea turtles, including the Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii). Although culture-dependent methods are typically used to characterize microbes associated with pneumonia and to determine treatment, culture-independent methods can provide a deeper understanding of the respiratory microbial communities and lead to a more accurate diagnosis. In this study, we characterized the tracheal lavage microbiome from cold-stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtles at three time points during rehabilitation (intake, rehabilitation, and convalescence) by analyzing the 16S rRNA gene collected from tracheal lavage samples. We retrospectively developed a radiographic scoring system to grade the severity of lung abnormalities in the

SUBMITTER: McNally KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8532748 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature