Prevalence, distribution, and progression of radiographic abnormalities in the lungs of cold-stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii): 89 cases (2002–2005)

Stockman, J.A.; Innis, Charles J.; Solano, Mauricio; Brisson, Jennifer; Kass, Philip H.; Tlusty, Michael F.; Weber, E. Scott

doi:10.2460/javma.242.5.675

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…We chose turtles at random to be enrolled in the study and to have radiographs taken prior to their intake exam to assess the degree of lung abnormalities. The attending veterinarian categorized the turtle as pneumonia or not based on their interpretation of the radiographs, hereafter referred to as Pneumonia or Non-Pneumonia turtles [ 44 , 45 ]. We collected blood during physical exams from the dorsal cervical sinus and analyzed it immediately using a blood gas and biochemical analyzer (pHOx Ultra, NOVA Biomedical, Waltham, MA).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of oral and cloacal microbial communities in cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) during the time course of rehabilitation

et al. 2021

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Microbial communities of animals play a role in health and disease, including immunocompromised conditions. In the northeastern United States, cold-stunning events often cause endangered Kemp’s ridley turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) to become stranded on beaches in autumn. These sea turtles are admitted to rehabilitation facilities when rescued alive and are presumed immunocompromised secondary to hypothermia. To better understand the role that microbes play in the health of cold-stunned sea turtles, we characterized the oral and cloacal microbiome from Kemp’s ridley turtles at multiple timepoints during rehabilitation, from admission to pre-release, by using Illumina sequencing to analyze the 16S rRNA gene. Microbial communities were distinct between body sites and among turtles that survived and those that died. We found that clinical parameters such as presence of pneumonia or values for various blood analytes did not correlate with oral or cloacal microbial community composition. We also investigated the effect of antibiotics on the microbiome during rehabilitation and prior to release and found that the type of antibiotic altered the microbial community composition, yet overall taxonomic diversity remained the same. The microbiome of cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley turtles gradually changed through the course of rehabilitation with environment, antibiotics, and disease status all playing a role in those changes and ultimately the release status of the turtles.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of oral and cloacal microbial communities in cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) during the time course of rehabilitation

et al. 2021

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“…Further categorizing the scores into unilateral or bilateral, and ventral or diffuse provided insight into potential causes of pneumonia in cold-stunned sea turtles. Potential causes include colonization of opportunistic microbes and/or aspiration of sea water [2,23]. Although we primarily saw bilateral lung abnormalities, the right lung tended to be more severely affected radiographically than the left as described in a previous study [2].…”

Section: The Tracheal Lavage Microbiome and Degree Of Radiographic Lung Abnormalitiesmentioning

confidence: 52%

“…Respiratory abnormalities are prevalent in sea turtles, including Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii), and are a common cause for their morbidity and mortality [1]. Initial diagnosis of pneumonia typically relies on radiographic evidence of lung abnormalities by identifying patterns of radiopacities, which may increase with inflammation, edema, and fibrosis [1,2]. Abnormalities found on radiographs that typically indicate pneumonia can include focal, multifocal, and generalized interstitial patterns to a reticular (honeycomb) pattern [2], all of which help veterinarians identify the severity and location of infection.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Initial diagnosis of pneumonia typically relies on radiographic evidence of lung abnormalities by identifying patterns of radiopacities, which may increase with inflammation, edema, and fibrosis [1,2]. Abnormalities found on radiographs that typically indicate pneumonia can include focal, multifocal, and generalized interstitial patterns to a reticular (honeycomb) pattern [2], all of which help veterinarians identify the severity and location of infection. Veterinary staff use a variety of diagnostic methods to further characterize and identify the causative microbes (bacteria and/or fungi) to determine the appropriate course of medical intervention.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cold-stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtles present with a wide range of pathologic findings including cardiorespiratory depression, dehydration, sepsis, reduced renal function, and death [22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. Pneumonia is extremely common, with an average of half of the Kemp's ridley sea turtles per cold-stun event presenting with respiratory abnormalities during rehabilitation at NEAq [2,24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of the Respiratory Microbiome and the Use of Tracheal Lavage as a Diagnostic Tool in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys kempii)

McNally

Bowen

Brisson³

et al. 2021

Animals

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Respiratory disease is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in sea turtles, including the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii). Although culture-dependent methods are typically used to characterize microbes associated with pneumonia and to determine treatment, culture-independent methods can provide a deeper understanding of the respiratory microbial communities and lead to a more accurate diagnosis. In this study, we characterized the tracheal lavage microbiome from cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles at three time points during rehabilitation (intake, rehabilitation, and convalescence) by analyzing the 16S rRNA gene collected from tracheal lavage samples. We retrospectively developed a radiographic scoring system to grade the severity of lung abnormalities in these turtles and found no differences in diversity or composition of microbial communities based on radiographic score. We also found that the culture isolates from tracheal lavage samples, as well as other previously reported sea turtle pathogens, were present in variable abundance across sequenced samples. In addition to the tracheal microbial community of live turtles, we characterized microbial communities from other segments of the respiratory tract (glottis, trachea, anterior lung, posterior lung) from deceased turtles. We found a high degree of variability within turtles and a high degree of dissimilarity between different segments of the respiratory tract and the tracheal lavage collected from the same turtle. In summary, we found that the pulmonary microbial community associated with pneumonia in sea turtles is complex and does not correlate well with the microbial community as identified by tracheal lavage. These results underscore the limitations of using tracheal lavage for identification of the causative agents of pneumonia in sea turtles.

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Radiography—Chelonians

Holmes¹,

Divers²

2019

Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery

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Prevalence, distribution, and progression of radiographic abnormalities in the lungs of cold-stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii): 89 cases (2002–2005)

Abstract: Radiographic abnormalities of the lungs were commonly detected in cold-stunned Kemp's ridley turtles. Results of this study may aid clinicians in developing effective diagnostic and treatment plans for these patients.

Cited by 15 publications

References 12 publications

Characterization of oral and cloacal microbial communities in cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) during the time course of rehabilitation

Characterization of oral and cloacal microbial communities in cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) during the time course of rehabilitation

Evaluation of the Respiratory Microbiome and the Use of Tracheal Lavage as a Diagnostic Tool in Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys kempii)

Radiography—Chelonians

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