Detection of antibodies to a disease-associated herpesvirus of the green turtle, Chelonia mydas

Lung-eye-trachea disease-associated herpesvirus (LETV) is linked with morbi dity and mortality in mariculture-reared green turtles, but its prevalence among and impact on wild marine turtle populations is unknown. An enzyme-li nked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for detection of anti-LETV a ntibodies and could distinguish LETV-exposed green turtles from those with antibodies to fibropapillomatosis-associated herpesvirus (FPHV). Plasma fro m two captive-reared green turtles immunized with inactivated LETV served a s positive controls. Plasma from 42 healthy captive-reared green turtles an d plasma from 30 captive-reared green turtles with experimentally induced f ibropapillomatosis (FP) and anti-FPHV antibodies had low ELISA values on LE TV antigen. A survey of 19 wild green turtles with and 27 without FP (with and without anti-FPHV antibodies, respectively) identified individuals with antibodies to LETV regardless of their Fl? status. The seroprevalence of L ETV infection was 13%. The presence of antibodies to LETV in plasma samples was confirmed by Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses. These resu lts are the first to suggest that wild Florida green turtles are exposed to LETV or to an antigenically closely related herpesvirus(es) other than FPH V and that FPHV and LETV infections are most likely independent events. Thi s is the first ELISA developed to detect antibodies for a specific herpesvi rus infection of marine turtles. The specificity of this ELISA for LETV (ab ility to distinguish LETV from FPHV) makes it valuable for detecting exposu re to this specific herpesvirus and enhances our ability to conduct seroepi demiological studies of these disease-associated agents in marine turtles.