Sea turtle health is an important component of conservation since these taxa is susceptible to infectious diseases that can cause illness increasing its mortality. Threats to health, survival, and reproduction of sea turtles are increasingly documented; however, prevention and control has not yet been successfully achieved. Thus, the need to develop conservation strategies on an ecosystem scale is a growing concern. Information about health indicators of sea turtles is a useful tool to achieve the best possible conservation measures. The objective of this study was to establish a baseline of health assessments of free-ranging Eastern Pacific green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from developmental habitats in Baja California Sur. Here we contribute with a clinical exam for sea turtles and reference interval values of vital signs (Corporal temperature: subadults, 21.22 ± 3.43; juveniles, 22.2 ± 2.95. Heart rate: subadults, 37.41 ± 2.95; juveniles, 38.27 ± 4.09. Pulse rate: subadults, 15.07 ± 3.88; juveniles, 19.97 ± 0.82), that in conjunction with the complete blood count and plasma blood biochemistry, 100% of the turtles were classified as "healthy." Development of site-specific health indicators for wild, healthy sea turtle populations is an important factor in creating effective management protocols and thus enhances our ability to understand the effects of anthropogenic and environmental changes on sea turtle health.
Background: Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is an infectious disease considered to be one of the primary causes of mortality for many green turtles stokes around the world, commonly associated with a herpesvirus identified as Chelonid herpesvirus type 5 (ChHV-5). To detect the viral particles associated with the specific lesions of FP, Histopathology, Transmission Electron Microscopy and PCR studies have been used; in this manuscript we described by gross Pathology and Histopathology cutaneous FPs in an eastern Pacific Green Turtle (EPGT) C. mydas from Ojo de Liebre lagoon (LOL) and in an olive ridley turtle L. olivacea from the Gulf of Ulloa (GU) in the Baja California Peninsula. Methods: During September and December 2016, olive ridley turtles were caught at GU and EPGTs were caught at LOL. A physical examination adapted for sea turtles was carried out and morphometric data was taken. Two tissue samples (2 and 3 cm aprox. respectively) from two turtles that presented neoplasms were recollected; the lesions were completely resected, fixed in formalin and sent to the Marine Botany Laboratory at the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur to be processed with the Histopathology routine technique and were reviewed using a microscope with ×10 and ×40 lenses. Results: One olive ridley turtle (adult female) caught at GU, presented a FP-like lesion at the right eye, in addition to two FP-like lesions at the ventral part of the right anterior flipper; in LOL, an EPGT (sub adult female), presented a FP-like lesion at the ventral base of the right anterior flipper. The examination of the nodules by light microscopy revealed orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, epidermal hyperplasia with areas of edema, dermal papillary differentiation, increased fibroblasts in the dermis and mild infiltration of lymphocytes arranged at the perivascular level and at the dermo-epidermal junction. Conclusions: It is important and necessary to complement this kind of studies with the use of PCR to determine the role of the disease causative agent in the development of the neoplasms. Monitoring along the west coast of Mexico is essential to determine the presence, prevalence and incidence of FP and other diseases.
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