Fibropapillomatosis and Chelonid Alphaherpesvirus 5 Infection in Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys kempii).

ABSTRACT: Fibropapillomatosis (FP), a debilitating, infectious neoplastic disease, is rarely reported in endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii). With this study, we describe FP and the associated chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) in Kemp's ridley turtles encountered in the United States during 2006-2020. Analysis of 22 case reports of Kemp's ridley turtles with FP revealed that while the disease was mild in most cases, 54.5% were adult turtles, a reproductively valuable age class whose survival is a priority for population recovery. Of 51 blood samples from tumor-free turtles and 12 tumor samples from turtles with FP, 7.8% and 91.7%, respectively, tested positive for ChHV5 DNA via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Viral genome shotgun sequencing and phylogen

SUBMITTER: Page-Karjian A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8614476 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature