Geographic variation in marine turtle fibropapillomatosis.
We document three examples of fibropapillomatosis by histology, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and sequence analysis from three different geographic areas. Tumors compatible in morphology with fibropapillomatosis were seen in green turtles from Puerto Rico and San Diego (California) and in a hybrid loggerhead/ hawksbill turtle from Florida Bay (Florida). Tumors were confirmed as fibropapillomas on histology, although severity of disease varied between cases. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses revealed infection with the fibropapilloma-associated turtle herpesvirus (FPTHV) in all cases, albeit at highly variable copy numbers per cell. Alignment of a portion of the polymerase gene from each fibropapilloma-associated turtle herpesvirus isolate demonstrated geographic variation in sequence. These cases illustrate geographic variation in both the pathology and the virology of fibropapillomatosis.
Greenblatt
Rebecca J
RJ
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
Work
Thierry M
TM
Dutton
Peter
P
Sutton
Claudia A
CA
Spraker
Terry R
TR
Casey
Rufina N
RN
Diez
Carlos E
CE
Parker
Denise
D
St Leger
Judy
J
Balazs
George H
GH
Casey
James W
JW
D000818:Animals; D005350:Fibroma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005843:Geography; D006564:Herpesviridae; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014426:Turtles