Balaenophilus manatorum in Debilitated and Bycatch-Derived Loggerhead Sea Turtles Caretta caretta from Northwestern Adriatic Sea
نویسندگان
چکیده
Balenophilus manatorum (Copepoda: Harpaticoida) is one of the few components epibiontic fauna Caretta caretta that show a “true” parasitic association with their host. From rrosive to ulcerative cutaneous lesions may seldom appear as consequence copepod feeding on keratin turtles’ skin. Debilitating Turtle Syndrome (DTS) final outcome chronic insufficient assumption nutrients, generally occurring impairment immune functions and high epibiota burdens. In this survey, presence B. in C. from Northwestern Adriatic Sea was investigated relation between infection indices co-occurrence DTS studied. Clinical examination performed at time rescue, including routine hematological assessment; external parasites were isolated mechanically skin morphologically identified through observation an optic microscope SEM. Ten turtles classified affected by DTS, all them being small juveniles typical clinical clinicopathological presentation. A higher prevalence, abundance, density found syndrome. The massive coverage burrowing barnacle Pletylepas hexastylos prevented proper evaluation pathology associated DTS. any event, eventual damages caused parasite represent port entry for secondary infections such immunocompromised animals. Therefore, should not go overlooked debilitated be opportunely treated.
منابع مشابه
Parasitic outbreak of the copepod Balaenophilus manatorum in neonate loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from a head-starting program
BACKGROUND Diseases associated to external parasitosis are scarcely reported in sea turtles. During the last decades several organism have been documented as a part of normal epibiont community connected to sea turtles. The copepod Balaenophilus manatorum has been cited as a part of epibiont fauna with some concern about its parasitic capacity. This study serves three purposes, i.e. (i) it shed...
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ژورنال
عنوان ژورنال: Veterinary Sciences
سال: 2023
ISSN: ['2397-3463']
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10070427