Jacobson E R, Gaskin J M, Roelke M, Greiner E C, Allen J
Department of Special Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610.
J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1986 Nov 1;189(9):1020-3.
Fourteen juvenile (15- to 20-month-old) green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), representative of a group of sea turtles with clinical signs of respiratory tract disease, were euthanatized and submitted for necropsy. Macroscopically, lesions included periglottal necrosis, tracheitis with intraluminal caseous and laminated necrotic debris, and severe pneumonia. Several turtles had caseous conjunctival exudate covering the eyes. Microscopically, the turtles had fibrinonecrotic inflammation around the glottal opening, tracheitis, and severe bronchopneumonia and interstitial pneumonia. In multifocal areas, periglottal and tracheal epithelial cells adjacent to areas of necrosis had hypertrophic nuclei with amphophilic intranuclear inclusions. A mixed population of primarily gram-negative microorganisms was isolated from the tracheal and glottal lesions. Attempts at viral isolation in cultures of green sea turtle kidney cells resulted in the development of cytopathic effects characterized by giant cell formation and development of intranuclear inclusions. Using electron microscopy, intranuclear viral particles (88 to 99 nm in diameter) were seen in inclusion-containing tracheal and glottal epithelial cells and infected green sea turtle kidney cells; particles were consistently seen enveloping from nuclear membranes, and mature particles (132 to 147 nm) were found in the cytoplasm. On the basis of size, conformation, location, and presence of an envelope, the particles most closely resembled those of herpes-viruses.
14只幼年（15至20个月大）绿海龟（蠵龟）被实施安乐死并进行尸检，这些海龟代表了一组出现呼吸道疾病临床症状的海龟群体。肉眼可见，病变包括会厌周围坏死、气管内有干酪样和层状坏死碎屑的气管炎以及严重的肺炎。几只海龟的眼睛被干酪样结膜渗出物覆盖。显微镜下，海龟在声门开口周围有纤维蛋白坏死性炎症、气管炎以及严重的支气管肺炎和间质性肺炎。在多灶性区域，与坏死区域相邻的会厌和气管上皮细胞有核肥大，核内有嗜两性包涵体。从气管和声门病变中分离出主要为革兰氏阴性微生物的混合菌群。在绿海龟肾细胞培养物中进行病毒分离的尝试导致出现了以巨细胞形成和核内包涵体形成为特征的细胞病变效应。使用电子显微镜，在含有包涵体的气管和声门上皮细胞以及受感染的绿海龟肾细胞中可见核内病毒颗粒（直径88至99纳米）；持续可见颗粒从核膜中包被出来，并且在细胞质中发现了成熟颗粒（132至147纳米）。基于大小、形态、位置和包膜的存在，这些颗粒最类似于疱疹病毒的颗粒。
