Global distribution of Chelonid fibropapilloma-associated herpesvirus among clinically healthy sea turtles

Abstract

Background: Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a neoplastic disease characterized by cutaneous tumours that has been documented to infect all sea turtle species. Chelonid fibropapilloma-associated herpesvirus (CFPHV) is believed to be the aetiological agent of FP, based principally on consistent PCR-based detection of herpesvirus DNA sequences from FP tumours. We used a recently described PCR-based assay that targets 3 conserved CFPHV genes, to survey 208 green turtles (Chelonia mydas). This included both FP tumour exhibiting and clinically healthy individuals. An additional 129 globally distributed clinically healthy individual sea turtles; representing four other species were also screened.

Gross examination and Histopathology of Fibropapillomas in Chelonia mydas and Lepidochelys olivacea from Baja California Sur, Mexico

“…In such aggregations, FP has been related to the presence of sea leeches, particularly Ozobranchus margoi and other ectoparasites considered vectors [35]. However, other authors indicate that ChHV-5 can be present in turtles without clinical manifestation and without leeches, which limits the study of the possible relationships of FP among the different species of sea turtles [36]. Additionally, there is evidence for hypotheses that ChHV-5 is a near ubiquitous virus with latency characteristics that requires one or more possibly environmental or immune related cofactors to induce FP, so that, clinically healthy sea turtles from different sites where FP has not been reported yet across species can carry ChHV-5 DNA [37].…”

Diseases and Mortalities of Fishes and Other Animals in The Gulf of Mexico

“…It has also been classified as Chelonid herpesvirus 5, also restricted to marine turtles (Lu et al 2003) in which fibropapillomas, fibromas, lung-eyetrachea disease, grey patch disease, and loggerhead genital-respiratory and orocutaneous diseases have been reported. Development of these herpesvirus infections can be acute, latent and quiescent, or appear as a disease causing highly pathogenic and life-threatening conditions to occur (Aguirre et al 1998Herbst 1994;Quackenbush et al 1998Quackenbush et al , 2001Stacy et al 2008;Ariel 2011;Alfaro-Nú ñez et al 2014). In Florida, four distinct viral variants of CFPHV have been described (A-D) (Ene et al 2005).…”

“…Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) fibropapillomatosis with or without mortality has been associated with herpesvirus, retrovirus, natural tumor-promoter okadaic acid, arginine, external parasites, trematode egg interaction, and environmental factors demonstrating that these combinations of conditions can be pathogenic and life-threatening (Aguirre et al 1998;Herbst 1994;Casey et al 1997;Landsberg et al 1999;Dailey and Morris 1995;Alfaro-Nú ñez et al 2014;Foley et al 2005;Ene et al 2005;Work et al 2004;Van Houtan et al 2010). There does not seem to be any single factor inducing infections or causing mortality.…”

Ecologia, prevalência e caracterização molecular de <i>Chelonid fibropapilloma-associated herpesvirus</i> (CFPHV) em Tartarugas-Verdes (<i>Chelonia mydas</i>) em áreas da costa brasileira

“…HERBST et al, 2004;QUACKENBUSH et al, 1998). No entanto, a discussão sobre a latência do vírus surge recentemente (ALFARO-NUÑEZ et al, 2014) Ames, v. 45, n. 4, p. 1138Ames, v. 45, n. 4, p. -1142Ames, v. 45, n. 4, p. , 2009 Fibropapilloma-associated herpesvirus Chelonid (CFPHV) has been indicated as the primary infectious agent of fibropapillomatosis in sea turtles, and the disease has a higher prevalence in green turtles (Chelonia mydas). The herpesvirus can also establish latent infections without clinical manifestation of the disease, but studies evaluating this feature of these agents are quite recent in sea turtles.…”

“…A tartaruga-verde (Chelonia mydas) é a espécie que apresenta maior prevalência da doença, sendo documentados casos de até 92% de animais acometidos pela fibropapilomatose (BALAZS, POOLEY, 1991). A presença do CFPHV (Chelonid fibropapilloma-associated herpesvirus) também tem sido apontada em tecidos epiteliais sem lesão, e a maior prevalência do agente tem sido documentada nesta espécie, chegando a aproximadamente 30% de indivíduos infectados (ALFARO-NUÑEZ et al, 2014).…”