Herpesvirus infection in tortoises (Malacochersus tornieri and Testudo horsfieldii)

Large numbers of pancake tortoises (Malacochersus tornieri) and Horsfield t ortoises (Testudo horsfieldii) in three consignments imported into Japan di ed soon after arrival. Some tortoises in the first consignment were dead on arrival. Postmortem examination of two of the pancake tortoises and four o f the Horsfield tortoises revealed necrotizing lesions of the oral mucosa i n both species, primarily in the tongue. Eosinophilic to amphophilic inclus ion bodies were visible in the nuclei of mucosal epithelial cells in the le sions. Similar inclusion bodies were observed in the liver, spleen, adrenal glands, stomach, lungs, kidneys, small and large intestines, pancreas, and cerebrum of the pancake tortoises and in the liver, spleen, and pancreas o f the Horsfield tortoises. Electron microscopic examination of the cells co ntaining inclusion bodies showed herpesvirus-like particles about 100 nm in diameter in the cytoplasm. Nested polymerase chain reaction analysis using a herpesvirus consensus primer method confirmed the presence of a characte ristic herpesvirus base sequence in tissue from these lesions.