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1 March 2004 PREVALENCE OF MYCOPLASMA AGASSIZII AND CHELONIAN HERPESVIRUS IN CAPTIVE TORTOISES (TESTUDO SP.) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
Jorge F. Soares, Victoria J. Chalker, Kerstin Erles, Sonya Holtby, Michael Waters, Stuart McArthur
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Abstract

During the months of April to August in 1999 and 2002, oral swabs were collected from 146 tortoises (Testudo sp.) in private collections in the United Kingdom and tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of Mycoplasma agassizii and Chelonian herpesvirus (ChHV). The presence of M. agassizii was confirmed by restriction digestion of the PCR product. A 307-bp fragment of the ChHV UL5 homologue gene was sequenced and found to show most similarity to equine herpesvirus type 1. A prevalence of 15.8 and 8.2% was found for M. agassizii and ChHV, respectively. Comparison of the carriage of both M. agassizii and ChHV in different species of tortoises correlated the presence of M. agassizii with Testudo horsfieldii and ChHV with Testudo marginata and Testudo graeca iberia. An association of ChHV with stomatitis was also found. Mixed infections with both agents were detected. The findings further demonstrate this pathogen–tortoise association and the cross transmission of these infections if different tortoise species are housed together.

Jorge F. Soares, Victoria J. Chalker, Kerstin Erles, Sonya Holtby, Michael Waters, and Stuart McArthur "PREVALENCE OF MYCOPLASMA AGASSIZII AND CHELONIAN HERPESVIRUS IN CAPTIVE TORTOISES (TESTUDO SP.) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM," Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 35(1), 25-33, (1 March 2004). https://doi.org/10.1638/02-092
Received: 9 December 2002; Published: 1 March 2004
KEYWORDS
chelonian herpesvirus
Mycoplasma agassizii
Testudo sp
Tortoises
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