title: Fibropapillomatosis in green turtles Chelonia mydas in Brazil: characteristics of tumors and virus.
abstract: Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a benign neoplasia that affects physiological functions of sea turtles and may lead to death. High prevalence of FP in sea turtle populations has prompted several research groups to study the disease and the associated herpesvirus, chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5). The present study detected and quantified ChHV5 in 153 fibropapilloma samples collected from green turtles Chelonia mydas on the Brazilian coast between 2009 and 2010 to characterize the relationship between viral load and tumor characteristics. Of the tumor samples collected, 73 and 87% were positive for ChHV5 in conventional PCR and real-time PCR, respectively, and viral loads ranged between 1 and 118.62 copies cell⁻¹. Thirty-three percent of turtles were mildly, 28% were moderately and 39% were severely affected with FP. Skin samples were used as negative control. High viral loads correlated positively with increasing FP severity in turtles sampled on the Brazilian coast and with samples from turtles found dead in the states of São Paulo and Bahia. Six viral variants were detected in tumor samples, 4 of which were similar to the Atlantic phylogenetic group. Two variants were similar to the western Atlantic/eastern Caribbean phylogenetic group. Co-infection in turtles with more than one variant was observed in the states of São Paulo and Bahia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Veterinary Medicine College, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9090, Porto Alegre, 915640-000 RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Rodenbusch
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baptistotte
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Werneck
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.forename: M T D
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: de Ataíde
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Alieve
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Canal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D010212:Papilloma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D014426:Turtles
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral