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A survey of the diseases of marine turtles in northern Australia. II. Oceanarium-reareo and wild turtles

1990; Inter-Research; Volume: 9; Linguagem: Inglês

10.3354/dao009097

1616-1580

JS Glazebrook, RSF Campbell,

Bird parasitology and diseases

Thirty-seven turtles were examined as part of a disease survey.They consisted of 15 oceanarium-reared turtles (10 Chelonia mydas, 2 Eretmochelys imbricata, and 3 Caretta caretta) and 22 wild turtles (21 C. mydas and 1 E. imbricata).Bacterial diseases of oceanarium-reared turtles were the same as those of farmed turtles with the exception of tuberculosis and adenitis (salt-secreting gland infection), which were not diagnosed.Traumatic ulcerative dermatitis (biting) and the ulcerative stomatitis-obstructive rhinitis-pneumonia disease complex were again prominent, mainly in green and loggerhead turtles.Vibrio alginolyticus and Aeromonas hydrophila were implicated once more.Peritonitis had resulted from notches made in marginal scutes for identification purposes (one turtle only).Only 2 bacterial diseases were diagnosed in wild turtles, viz.bronchopneumonia and septicaemia toxaemia, which were secondary to heart fluke infestation.Cardiovascular flukes (Hapalotrema spp.and Learedius spp.) were found in 5/15 (33 3 % ) of oceanariunl-reared turtles and 9/22 (40 9 %) of M.lld turtles.Specimens with heavy infestations (> 20 flukes in the heart chambers) were severely debilitated displaying sunken eyes bilaterally, plastron shrinkage and generalized muscle wastage.Thickening and hardening of the walls of major vessels associated with the heart and pneumonia were complications.Gastrointestinal flukes (Digenea: Pronocephalidae) were restricted to the stomach of oceanariumreared turtles (3/15 or 33.3%) and in one case they were associated with petechial haemorrhages of the mucosa.In wild turtles they were present throughout the gastrointestinal tract and in the gall bladder (9/ 22 or 40.9'>'0 affected).Barnacles (Chelonibia sp, and Platylepas sp.) were present on 2/15 (13.3 %) and 10/22 (45.5 '10) of oceanarium-reared and wild turtles respectively.Cachetic myopathy was the end result of chronic bacterial and parasitic infection in 9/22 or 40.9 % of wild turtles.