Prevalence of Potential Pathogens from Blood, Oropharyngeal and Cloacal Mucosa of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin) from Georgia and Maryland, USA
Abstract
The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin) is a coastal species with a range from Massachusetts to Texas and is the only brackish-water turtle in North America.1,2 Three populations of terrapins were tested for potential reptile pathogens: animals in rehabilitation from Jekyll Island, Georgia (n=7), free-ranging from Poplar Island, Maryland (n=55), and under human care at the National Aquarium (n=4). None of the terrapins showed signs of active disease on physical examination. Whole blood and a mucosal (combined oropharyngeal/cloacal) swab from each animal were evaluated by qPCR for thirteen potential pathogens, listed in Table 1.3,4,5,6,7 Swabs were positive for a DNA segment 100% homologous to Mycoplasma testudineum in all three populations: Jekyll Island 85.7% (6/7), Poplar Island 87.3% (48/55), and National Aquarium 25.0% (1/4). All blood samples were negative. Further work is needed to characterize this Mycoplasma testudineum since it showed a high prevalence in the wild populations, and Mycoplasma spp. can be important respiratory pathogens of reptiles.
Table 1. PCR results from oropharyngeal/cloacal swabs and whole blood
|
Pathogen
|
Oropharyngeal/cloacal swab
|
Whole blood
|
|
|
PCR positive animals
|
PCR negative animals
|
PCR positive animals
|
PCR negative animals
|
|
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
|
0
|
66
|
0
|
66
|
|
Ambystoma tigrinum virus
|
0
|
66
|
0
|
66
|
|
Bohle iridovirus
|
0
|
66
|
0
|
66
|
|
Borrelia burgdorferi
|
0
|
66
|
0
|
66
|
|
Epizootic hematopoetic necrosis virus
|
0
|
66
|
0
|
66
|
|
Frog Virus 3
|
0
|
66
|
0
|
66
|
|
Mycoplasma agassizii
|
0
|
66
|
0
|
66
|
|
Mycoplasma testudineum
|
55
|
11
|
0
|
66
|
|
Emydid Mycoplasma sp.
|
0
|
66
|
0
|
66
|
|
Salmonella enteritidis
|
0
|
66
|
0
|
66
|
|
Salmonella typhimurium
|
0
|
66
|
0
|
66
|
|
Chelonian intranuclear coccidiosis
|
0
|
66
|
0
|
66
|
|
Testudinid herpesvirus 2
|
0
|
66
|
0
|
66
|
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the graduate and undergraduate researchers working at Poplar Island and the many staff and volunteers at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.
* Presenting author
+ Student presenter
Literature Cited
1. Mitro MG. 2003. Demography and viability analyses of a diamondback terrapin population. Can J Zool. 81:716–726.
2. Roosenburg WM. 1991. The diamondback terrapin: population dynamics, habitat requirements, and opportunities for conservation. Chesapeake Research Consortium Publication No 137.
3. Allender MC, Abd-Eldaim M, Schumacher J, McRuer D, Christian LS, Kennedy M. 2011. PCR prevalence Ranavirus in free-ranging eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) at rehabilitation centers in three southeastern US states. J Wild Dis. 47:759–764.
4. Innis CJ, Garner MM, Wellehan JFX, Tabaka C, Marschang RE, Nordhausen RW, Jacobson ER. 2007. Antemortem diagnosis and characterization of nasal intranuclear coccidiosis in Sulawesi tortoises (Indotestudo forsteni). J Vet Diagn Invest. 19:660–667.
5. Lecis R, Paglietti B, Rubino S, Are BM, Muzzeddu M, Berlinguer F, Chessa B, Pittau M, Alberti A. 2011. Detection and characterization of Mycoplasma spp. and Salmonella spp. in free-living European tortoises (Testudo hermanni, Testudo graeca, and Testudo marginata). J Wild Dis. 47:717–724.
6. Nieto NC, Foley JE, Bettaso J, Lane RS. 2009. Reptile infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis. J Parasitol. 95:1165–1170.
7. Otis VS, Behlr JL. 1973. The occurrence of Salmonellae and Edwardsiella in the turtles of the New York Zoological Park. J Wildl Dis. 9:4–6.