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Turtle fibropapillomatosis
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Turtle fibropapillomatosis
Turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a disease of sea turtles. The condition is characterized by benign but ultimately debilitating epithelial tumours on the surface of biological tissues. FP exists all over the world, but it is most prominent in warmer climates, affecting up to 50–70% of some populations.
The causative agent of the disease is believed to be Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV-5), a species of virus in the genus Scutavirus, subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae, and order Herpesvirales. Turtle leeches are suspected mechanical vectors, transmitting the disease to other individuals. The disease is thought to have a multifactorial cause, including a tumour-promoting phase that is possibly caused by biotoxins or contaminants.
Fibropapillomatosis is a benign tumour disease of marine turtles, predominantly in the green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, but it has also been reported in the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta, olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea, Kemp's ridley Lepidochelys kempii, and leatherbacks Dermochelys coriacea. This neoplastic disease causes proliferation of papillary cells (hyperplasia) and gives rise to excess fibrous connective tissue in both epidermal and dermal skin layers – or more specifically, proliferation of dermal fibroblasts and epidermal keratinocytes. This causes tumorigenesis in sizes less than 1 cm up to more than 30 cm in diameter. FP is most often found externally around the armpits, genitals, neck, eyes, and tails of turtles, but also occur in and around the mouth, and rarely in internal organs or on the carapace. This, in turn, impedes vision, feeding, and movement. Around 25–30% of turtles with external tumours also have internal tumours, primarily in heart, lungs and kidneys.
FP incidence is highest among immature and juvenile green turtles, while it is rare in adults. The suggestions for this pattern include the tumours can regress and be cured, which has been documented in some individuals, even when tumours were severe. However, the responses that cause these tumour regressions is unknown. Secondly, the juvenile individuals with FP might die before reaching adulthood.
The tumours appear to be benign and can be present for many years, but if large, can mechanically hamper sight, swallowing, and swimming, which may ultimately be fatal. While external tumours hamper movement and sight, internal tumours interfere with system functioning, another potentially fatal factor. As the tumours progress, individuals with large numbers of tumours may become anaemic, have a lack of proteins and iron, and in more advanced stages even suffer from acidosis caused by imbalanced calcium/phosphorus ratios and severe emaciation.
Fibropapillomas are present in other animal groups, but are caused by different viruses, for example the bovine papillomavirus.
The first documented case of the disease was in 1938 in Key West, Florida. Long-term studies found no signs of the disease on Florida's Atlantic coast in the 1970s, but during the 1980s FP was recorded in incidences varying from 28 to 67%. Today, incidences as high as 92% have been reported in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. Generally, FP is most prominent in warmer climates. Recent research has found that FP is caused by stress and tumours have been observed in turtles that are part of turtle tourism tours.
The FP is an infectious disease with horizontal transmission. An alphaherpesvirus called fibropapilloma-associated turtle herpesvirus (FPTHV) and Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 is believed to be the causative agent of the disease. The reason for this belief is because nearly all tissue samples tested from turtles with lesions carry genetic material of this herpesvirus, varying between 95 and 100% depending on different studies and locations. The DNA loads of the herpesvirus in tumour tissue are 2.5–4.5 logarithms higher than in uninfected tissue. The FPTHV herpesvirus has been found in turtles free from FP and this suggest that the FP progression is multifactorial and might even involve some sort of tumour-promoting phase. The global prevalence of the disease also suggests a multifactorial cause, rather than single factors or agents. Possible factors include some parasites, bacteria, environmental pollutants, UV-light, changing water temperatures and biotoxins. Even physiological factors such as stress and immunologic status appear to be associated with FP.
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Turtle fibropapillomatosis
Turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a disease of sea turtles. The condition is characterized by benign but ultimately debilitating epithelial tumours on the surface of biological tissues. FP exists all over the world, but it is most prominent in warmer climates, affecting up to 50–70% of some populations.
The causative agent of the disease is believed to be Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV-5), a species of virus in the genus Scutavirus, subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae, and order Herpesvirales. Turtle leeches are suspected mechanical vectors, transmitting the disease to other individuals. The disease is thought to have a multifactorial cause, including a tumour-promoting phase that is possibly caused by biotoxins or contaminants.
Fibropapillomatosis is a benign tumour disease of marine turtles, predominantly in the green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, but it has also been reported in the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta, olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea, Kemp's ridley Lepidochelys kempii, and leatherbacks Dermochelys coriacea. This neoplastic disease causes proliferation of papillary cells (hyperplasia) and gives rise to excess fibrous connective tissue in both epidermal and dermal skin layers – or more specifically, proliferation of dermal fibroblasts and epidermal keratinocytes. This causes tumorigenesis in sizes less than 1 cm up to more than 30 cm in diameter. FP is most often found externally around the armpits, genitals, neck, eyes, and tails of turtles, but also occur in and around the mouth, and rarely in internal organs or on the carapace. This, in turn, impedes vision, feeding, and movement. Around 25–30% of turtles with external tumours also have internal tumours, primarily in heart, lungs and kidneys.
FP incidence is highest among immature and juvenile green turtles, while it is rare in adults. The suggestions for this pattern include the tumours can regress and be cured, which has been documented in some individuals, even when tumours were severe. However, the responses that cause these tumour regressions is unknown. Secondly, the juvenile individuals with FP might die before reaching adulthood.
The tumours appear to be benign and can be present for many years, but if large, can mechanically hamper sight, swallowing, and swimming, which may ultimately be fatal. While external tumours hamper movement and sight, internal tumours interfere with system functioning, another potentially fatal factor. As the tumours progress, individuals with large numbers of tumours may become anaemic, have a lack of proteins and iron, and in more advanced stages even suffer from acidosis caused by imbalanced calcium/phosphorus ratios and severe emaciation.
Fibropapillomas are present in other animal groups, but are caused by different viruses, for example the bovine papillomavirus.
The first documented case of the disease was in 1938 in Key West, Florida. Long-term studies found no signs of the disease on Florida's Atlantic coast in the 1970s, but during the 1980s FP was recorded in incidences varying from 28 to 67%. Today, incidences as high as 92% have been reported in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. Generally, FP is most prominent in warmer climates. Recent research has found that FP is caused by stress and tumours have been observed in turtles that are part of turtle tourism tours.
The FP is an infectious disease with horizontal transmission. An alphaherpesvirus called fibropapilloma-associated turtle herpesvirus (FPTHV) and Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 is believed to be the causative agent of the disease. The reason for this belief is because nearly all tissue samples tested from turtles with lesions carry genetic material of this herpesvirus, varying between 95 and 100% depending on different studies and locations. The DNA loads of the herpesvirus in tumour tissue are 2.5–4.5 logarithms higher than in uninfected tissue. The FPTHV herpesvirus has been found in turtles free from FP and this suggest that the FP progression is multifactorial and might even involve some sort of tumour-promoting phase. The global prevalence of the disease also suggests a multifactorial cause, rather than single factors or agents. Possible factors include some parasites, bacteria, environmental pollutants, UV-light, changing water temperatures and biotoxins. Even physiological factors such as stress and immunologic status appear to be associated with FP.
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