title: Coinfection with a novel fibropapilloma-associated herpesvirus and a novel Spirorchis sp. in an eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) in Florida.
abstract: Herpesviruses are important pathogens of chelonians, and include Chelonid herpesvirus 5, which is associated with fibropapillomatosis in sea turtles. Spirorchid trematodes are blood flukes that reside within the cardiovascular system of marine turtles and may be associated with severe disease. An eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) at the South Florida Wildlife Care Center (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) was presented to the facility with papillomatous growths behind both rear legs. Surgical removal resulted in remission for 8 months; however, lesions recurred, prompting a second surgery and acyclovir therapy. Surgical biopsies revealed subacute superficial inflammation associated with the supporting stroma of the cutaneous papillomas and granulomas within the superficial dermis containing fragmented and collapsed brown trematode eggs surrounded by multinucleated giant cells and epithelioid macrophages. Pan-herpesviral and pan-trematode consensus polymerase chain reaction and sequencing were run on tissue samples. Comparative sequence analysis revealed a novel alphaherpesvirus and a novel trematode in the genus Spirorchis. The animal became anorexic and was euthanized due to poor quality of life. While we do not yet have a complete understanding of the effects of herpesvirus and trematode infections in eastern box turtles, the findings thus presented provide initial insights into the disease relationships among these chelonians.
authors.affiliation: Zoological Medicine Service, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (Yonkers, Archer, Childress, Wellehan)South Florida Wildlife Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Schneider)Zoo/Exotic Pathology Service, West Sacramento, CA (Reavill).
authors.forename: Sara B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Yonkers
authors.affiliation: Zoological Medicine Service, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (Yonkers, Archer, Childress, Wellehan)South Florida Wildlife Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Schneider)Zoo/Exotic Pathology Service, West Sacramento, CA (Reavill).
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Zoological Medicine Service, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (Yonkers, Archer, Childress, Wellehan)South Florida Wildlife Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Schneider)Zoo/Exotic Pathology Service, West Sacramento, CA (Reavill).
authors.forename: Drury R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Reavill
authors.affiliation: Zoological Medicine Service, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (Yonkers, Archer, Childress, Wellehan)South Florida Wildlife Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Schneider)Zoo/Exotic Pathology Service, West Sacramento, CA (Reavill).
authors.forename: Linda L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Archer
authors.affiliation: Zoological Medicine Service, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (Yonkers, Archer, Childress, Wellehan)South Florida Wildlife Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Schneider)Zoo/Exotic Pathology Service, West Sacramento, CA (Reavill).
authors.forename: April L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Childress
authors.affiliation: Zoological Medicine Service, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (Yonkers, Archer, Childress, Wellehan)South Florida Wildlife Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Schneider)Zoo/Exotic Pathology Service, West Sacramento, CA (Reavill) wellehanj@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: James F X
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Wellehan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D060085:Coinfection; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005431:Florida; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012623:Seawater; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D014200:Trematoda / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D014426:Turtles
keywords: Eastern box turtles; Terrapene carolina; herpesvirus; spirorchid