STUDIES ON AN ULCERATIVE STOMATITIS OBSTRUCTIVE RHINITIS PNEUMONIA DISEASE COMPLEX IN HATCHLING AND JUVENILE SEA-TURTLES CHELONIA-MYDAS ANDCARETTA-CARETTA

Three bacterial diseases (ulcerative stomatitis, obstructive rhinitis and pneumonia) and associated complexes were together responsible for mortality rates of up to 70 % in farmed and oceanarium-reared turtles (Chelonia mydas and Caretta caretta). Hatchlings 5 to 12 wk old and ju veniles 3 to 6 mo old were particularly susceptible to ulcerative stom atitis and bronchopneurnonia respectively (58.6 and 58.3 % of the case s diagnosed). Obstructive rhinitis was secondary to ulcerative stomati tis, being present in 70 % of hatchlings with mouth rot or 'canker'. F ocal pneumonia occurred more frequently in juveniles (81.8 % or 9/11 a ffected). The 5 disease complexes observed (ulcerative stomatitis - br onchopneumonia; ulcerative stomatitis - obstructive rhinitis; ulcerati ve stomatitis - obstructive rhinitis - bronchopneumonia; obstructive r hinitis - bronchopneumonia; and ulcerative stomatitis - focal pneumoni a) were equally distributed amongst hatchlings and juveniles. It was n ot possible to compare the relative susceptibility of green turtles an d loggerheads, because of the small number of loggerheads involved (3) . The percentage of farmed and oceanarium-reared turtles showing one o r more of these diseases was similar [65 % (65/100) and 66.6 % (10/15) respectively]. The clinico-pathological features of the major disease s are described. Three bacteria (Vibrio alginolyticus, Aeromonas hydro phila and Flavobacterium sp.) were repeatedly isolated from cases of u lcerative stomatitis and obstructive rhinitis. In addition to the abov e organisms 4 genera of fungi (Paecilomyces sp., Penicillium sp., Aspe rgillus sp. and Fusarium sp.) were recovered from caseous material lod ged inside the trachea and bronchi of turtles with bronchopneumonia. A therapeutic regime was tested on 42 hatchlings, 7 to 8 wk old, using antibiotics and a topical disinfectant. The survival rate of individua lly-reared hatchlings (71.5 %) was significantly higher than the contr ol group (28.6 %, p < 0.01) but not significantly higher than their gr oup-reared counterparts (57.2 %, p < 0.05).