Prevalence and cultivation of a Chelonid herpesvirus associated with Fibropapillomas of the green turtle, Chelonia mydas, and the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, in Florida.

Abstract

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a growing threat to the survival of green turtle,Chelonia mydas, populations worldwide and has been shown to be affectingloggerhead, Caretta caretta, and olive ridley, Lepidochelys olivacea, populations aswell. Transmission studies in captivity carried out by this laboratory have demonstratedthat FP in green turtles is caused by an infectious subcellular agent. (Herbst, et al,1995), (Herbst et ai, 1996a). We have demonstrated a new Chelonid herpesvirus inexperimentally induced and spontaneous fibropapillomas of green turtles using electronmicroscopic,molecular, and serological techniques (Jacobson et ai, 1991), (Herbst, etai, 1995), (Herbst, et ai, 1996b), (Lackovich, et al 1998a), (Herbst, et ai, 1998), (Garber,et al 1998). Recent studies by others have confirmed our early characterization of thisvirus as a member of the Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily (Quackenbush, et al, 1998,Herbst, et al, 1996b, Garber, et ai, 1998).Although this herpesvirus is considered a candidate for the etiology of FP, it hasnot yet been cultivated in vitro. Fulfillment of Koch's postulates through a controlledtransmission study using cultured herpesvirus would test its role as the etiologic agentof FP. These studies were initiated to provide previously unavailable information aboutthe prevalence of this virus in tumors and skin of green and loggerhead turtles in Floridaand to attempt to cultivate it in vitro. (13 page document)