Caryospora cheloniae SP. N.: A COCCIDIAL PATHOGEN OF MARICULTURE-REARED GREEN SEA TURTLES (Chelonia mydas mydas)

Leibovitz, Louis; Rebell, Gerbert; Boucher, G. Christopher

doi:10.7589/0090-3558-14.2.269

Cited by 30 publications

(33 citation statements)

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“…Following the establishment of the world's first green turtle farm on Grand Cayman Island in 1968, a series of papers appeared in the literature (Rebell et al 1975, Leibovitz et al 1978, Jacobson et al 1979) describing diseases which had caused significant losses during the first few years of operation. Lebrun (1975) and Reme (1980) also mentioned 3 diseases which were present on the farm on Reunion Island, off the coast of Madagascar.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A survey of the diseases of marine turtles in northern Australia. I. Farmed turtles

Glazebrook¹,

Campbell²

1990

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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ABSTRACT. A total of 104 farmed turtles (102 Chelonia mydas and 2 Eretmochelys inlbricata) were examined for signs of chnical disease. They were obtained from the Torres Strait where they were housed in 250 1 fibreglass tanks and 50 1 plasbc basins and fed a diet of fish by islanders. Altogether, 28 diseases were diagnosed including 1 2 bactenal, 4 parasitic and 4 nutritional diseases. Less common were those of genetlc and environmental origin. Skin lesions due to biting (traumatic ulcerative dermatitis) were almost universal in farmed turtles. They were concentrated on the tips and trailing edges of the front and rear flippers and also on the neck and tail as well as the axillary and inguinal regions. Morb~dity and mortality rates of 100 and 30 %, respectively, were recorded in the first month of life. Juveniles and yearlings rarely succumbed to the disease. Cultures of lesion material yielded a variety of bacteria VIZ Vibrio alg~nolyticus, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Flavobacteriurn sp., Micrococcus sp. and Bacillus sp. Ulcerative stomatitis was the most important bacterial disease of farmed turtles after traumatic ulcerative dermatitis. It occurred as an epizootic in hatchlings 5 to 8 wk old. A plug of caseopurulent material in the oral cavity was usually the first overt sign of the disease. Debridement somebmes caused bleeding, indicating the presence of false membranes. Obstructive rhinltis and pneumonia were complications of the original condition. Turtles with these diseases showed loss of equilibrium and laboured respiration. Plugs of caseous material were lodged in the tracheahronchi and/or external nares. Focal pneumonia was characterised by nodular lesions in the apical or medial portion of the lung. Microscopic sections and cultures showed bacteria were mainly responsible. V. alginolyticus, Aeromonas hydroph~la, Flavobacterium sp. and Pseudomonas sp. were isolated from the upper and lower respiratory tract as well as the oral cavity. Fungal isolates viz PenicilLium sp., Paecilornyces sp., Fusarium sp. and Rhodotorula sp. were of secondary importance. Acid fast bacilli (Mycobacterium sp.) were seen in the lungs of 2 farmed turtles but were not isolated. Salmonellosis was diagnosed on only one occasion, when Salmonella enteritidis was isolated from the liver of a juvenile turtle. Eye lesions (keratoconjunctivitis -ulcerative blepharitis) were caused by rubbing against the side of the tank. Adenitis (salt-secreting gland infection) resulted from the introduction of forceps into the duct leading from the posterior orbit. Peritonitis was an extension of ulcerative shell disease. Pseudomonas spp. and Flavobacterium spp. were common to the last 3 hseases. Septicaemia-toxaemia was secondary to chronic bacterial and parasitic infections. V. alginolyticus, A. hydrophila and Flavobacterium sp. were isolated from the heart blood and caused toxic changes in the heart and kidneys. V. alginolyticus was cultured from a case of ulcerative shell disease and osteomyelitis. Gastritis-serositis syndrome was the most importa...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Botulism was also prevalent at the time (Smith 1977). Leibovitz et al (1978) showed that hatchlings 4 to 8 wk old were susceptible to coccidiosis and Jacobson et al (1979) diagnosed mycotic pneumonia in 29 juvenile turtles with a buoyancy abnormality. Sporotrichium sp., Cladosporium SW. and Paecilomyces sp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A survey of the diseases of marine turtles in northern Australia. I. Farmed turtles

Glazebrook¹,

Campbell²

1990

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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“…Caryospora cheloniae was first recorded in the spring of 1973, when it was found in young green sea turtles in a mariculture facility on Grand Cayman Island (Leibovitz et al, 1978).…”

Section: History and Biologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They contribute to a large proportion of green sea turtle deaths in Moreton Bay Meager and Limpus, 2012), and are also problematic in Florida populations (Jacobson et al, 2006;Stacy, 2008). Another parasite, the coccidian Caryospora cheloniae, has been associated with epizootic events on Grand Cayman island (Leibovitz et al, 1978;Rebell et al, 1974) and more recently in south east…”

Section: Diseasementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adverse impacts on green sea turtles as a result of these infections were not reported, and all turtles studied were determined to have died of other causes (Graczyk et al, 1997). However, a third coccidian parasite, Caryospora cheloniae, was described from green sea turtles in 1973 (Leibovitz et al, 1978;Rebell et al, 1974), and has been associated with several mass mortality events (Gordon et al, 1993;Leibovitz et al, 1978;Rebell et al, 1974).…”

Section: Coccidia Of Reptilesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Diversity, impacts and diagnosis of pathogenic parasites in sea turtles from Queensland, Australia

Chapman¹

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Parasitism is a significant cause of stranding and mortality in endangered sea turtles. Two parasites in particular (or groups thereof) have been noted for their impacts on green sea turtle populations. The first are the spirorchiid blood flukes, which inhabit the circulatory systems of their host. The second is the eimeriid coccidian Caryospora cheloniae, a systemic parasite affecting a number of organs. Diversity among these organisms is poorly explored, and is almost certainly greater than currently recognised. The parasites and their associated diseases fluctuate both temporally and spatially in terms of prevalence and severity, however, the factors driving these fluctuations are poorly understood. A variety of questions remain unanswered in terms of the epidemiology and relative pathogenicity of the different parasite species. Of particular interest are brain lesions, which have been associated with both parasites and in some cases lead to neurological deficiency and subsequent mortality. Difficulties in finding answers to these questions is compounded by a lack of reliable, fast and quantitative ante-and post-mortem diagnostic tools for either parasite, which restricts their investigation.In order to catalogue local species and assess diversity, adult spirorchiid flukes were collected during post-mortem examination of deceased sea turtles and characterised by molecular and morphological means. Eleven distinct species or genotypes were identified, comprising a mix of previously described and novel species or variants. Samples were also collected from green sea turtles that died during a coccidiosis related mass mortality event in south east Queensland and northern New South Wales. While only one species of coccidian (C. cheloniae) had been previously described, molecular characterisation of the organism implicated in the outbreak revealed two distinct coccidian genotypes, which has significant implications for diagnosis and management.Spirorchiid ova have been associated with granulomatous lesions in a wide range of host tissues. However, it has not been possible to identify spirorchiids beyond the genus level based on morphology, which has frustrated any attempts to identify the species or variants responsible for severe lesions. In this thesis, a molecular approach was used and a terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) assay was developed to detect and identify individual species within the often mixed assemblages of ova in turtle tissues. This assay proved to be a more specific and sensitive alternative to traditional iii microscopic detection methods. Through correlation with histopathology and gross pathology, the tissue tropisms, relative occurrence and pathogenicity of each species were investigated. The most common species (Neospirorchis Genotype 2) was found in 96% of samples, encompassing tissues from all organs sampled. On average, a greater number of spirorchiid species were detected in tissues where lesions were present, and numbers increased along with the severity o...

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2004

Medicine and Surgery of Tortoises and Turtles

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Caryospora cheloniae SP. N.: A COCCIDIAL PATHOGEN OF MARICULTURE-REARED GREEN SEA TURTLES (Chelonia mydas mydas)

Cited by 30 publications

References 0 publications

A survey of the diseases of marine turtles in northern Australia. I. Farmed turtles

A survey of the diseases of marine turtles in northern Australia. I. Farmed turtles

Diversity, impacts and diagnosis of pathogenic parasites in sea turtles from Queensland, Australia

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