title: Mycobacterium haemophilum infection in a juvenile leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea).
abstract: Mycobacteriosis is infrequently reported in free-ranging sea turtles. Nontuberculous Mycobacterium haemophilum was identified as the causative agent of disseminated mycobacteriosis in a juvenile leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) that was found stranded on the Atlantic coast of Florida. Disseminated granulomatous inflammation was identified histologically, most notably affecting the nervous system. Identification of mycobacterial infection was based on cytologic, molecular, histologic, and microbiologic methods. Among stranded sea turtles received for diagnostic evaluation from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States between 2004 and 2015, the diagnosis of mycobacteriosis was overrepresented in stranded oceanic-phase juveniles compared with larger size classes, which suggests potential differences in susceptibility or exposure among different life phases in this region. We describe M. haemophilum in a sea turtle, which contributes to the knowledge of diseases of small juvenile sea turtles, an especially cryptic life phase of the leatherback turtle.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (Donnelly, Wellehan), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLInfection Diseases and Pathology (Waltzek), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLLarge Animal Clinical Sciences (NI Stacy), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLGumbo Limbo Nature Center, Boca Raton, FL (Chadam)National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources at University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (BA Stacy).
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.affiliation: Departments of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (Donnelly, Wellehan), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLInfection Diseases and Pathology (Waltzek), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLLarge Animal Clinical Sciences (NI Stacy), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLGumbo Limbo Nature Center, Boca Raton, FL (Chadam)National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources at University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (BA Stacy).
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Waltzek
authors.affiliation: Departments of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (Donnelly, Wellehan), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLInfection Diseases and Pathology (Waltzek), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLLarge Animal Clinical Sciences (NI Stacy), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLGumbo Limbo Nature Center, Boca Raton, FL (Chadam)National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources at University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (BA Stacy).
authors.forename: James F X
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Wellehan
authors.affiliation: Departments of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (Donnelly, Wellehan), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLInfection Diseases and Pathology (Waltzek), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLLarge Animal Clinical Sciences (NI Stacy), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLGumbo Limbo Nature Center, Boca Raton, FL (Chadam)National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources at University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (BA Stacy).
authors.forename: Nicole I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Stacy
authors.affiliation: Departments of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (Donnelly, Wellehan), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLInfection Diseases and Pathology (Waltzek), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLLarge Animal Clinical Sciences (NI Stacy), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLGumbo Limbo Nature Center, Boca Raton, FL (Chadam)National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources at University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (BA Stacy).
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chadam
authors.affiliation: Departments of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (Donnelly, Wellehan), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLInfection Diseases and Pathology (Waltzek), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLLarge Animal Clinical Sciences (NI Stacy), University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FLGumbo Limbo Nature Center, Boca Raton, FL (Chadam)National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources at University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (BA Stacy) brian.stacy@noaa.gov.
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Stacy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005431:Florida; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D018393:Mycobacterium haemophilum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014426:Turtles
keywords: Dermochelys coriacea; Mycobacterium haemophilum; leatherback; mycobacteriosis; sea turtles