Sea Turtle Healing Center, Department of Veterinary Programs, Brevard Zoo, Melbourne, FL 32940, USA,
Sea Turtle Healing Center, Department of Veterinary Programs, Brevard Zoo, Melbourne, FL 32940, USA.
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2024 Sep;55(3):665-672. doi: 10.1638/2023-0107.
Positive blood cultures have been identified in debilitated, stranded, and deceased green turtles (), suggestive of septicemia. Interpretation of these results is often difficult because multiple studies have previously identified bacteremia in clinically healthy reptiles. In this study, paired blood cultures and skin cultures obtained after aseptic preparation of the venipuncture site were collected from 50 immature free-ranging green turtles from Port Canaveral, Florida. Blood culture results were compared with health status (apparently healthy versus unhealthy, based on physical examination findings and appropriate body condition), date of collection, presence of external fibropapillomatosis, healed or unhealed injuries, and presence of barnacles. Weight, body condition score, body condition index, morphometric measures, volume of blood collected, and body temperature were compared between blood culture-positive and blood culture-negative turtles. Positive blood cultures were identified in 14% (7 of 50) of all turtles, including 15.6% (5 of 32) of apparently healthy turtles. spp., , sp., and were isolated in blood culture from apparently healthy individuals. There was a significant association ( = 0.048) between positive skin cultures and positive blood cultures, but isolates obtained were consistently different between paired results. There was no significant association ( > 0.05) between blood culture results and health status, evidence of healed or unhealed injuries, external fibropapillomatosis, or presence of barnacles. Based on the results of this study, positive blood cultures suggestive of nonclinical bacteremia may be present in apparently healthy green turtles. The results of this study will aid the attending clinician in interpretation of blood culture results of apparently healthy or presumed septicemic captive and rehabilitating green turtles as part of the conservation and population recovery of this threatened species.
从佛罗里达州卡纳维拉尔角的 50 只未成熟的自由放养绿海龟中采集了经无菌准备的静脉穿刺部位采集的配对血培养物和皮肤培养物，这些绿海龟身体虚弱、搁浅或死亡，并已确认存在阳性血液培养物，提示败血症。由于先前有多项研究已在临床健康的爬行动物中发现菌血症，因此对这些结果的解释通常很困难。将血培养结果与健康状况（根据体格检查结果和适当的身体状况评估，健康与不健康）、采集日期、是否存在外部纤维瘤病、已愈合或未愈合的伤口以及是否存在藤壶进行比较。比较了血培养阳性和血培养阴性海龟之间的体重、身体状况评分、身体状况指数、形态测量指标、采集的血量和体温。在所有海龟中，有 14%（50 只中的 7 只）的海龟血培养阳性，其中 15.6%（32 只中的 5 只）的健康海龟血培养阳性。从看似健康的个体中分离出了 spp.、、 sp. 和 。在阳性皮肤培养物和阳性血培养物之间存在显著关联（=0.048），但配对结果中获得的分离株始终不同。血培养结果与健康状况、已愈合或未愈合的伤口、外部纤维瘤病或藤壶的存在之间没有显著关联（>0.05）。根据这项研究的结果，在看似健康的绿海龟中，可能存在提示非临床菌血症的阳性血培养。这项研究的结果将有助于主治临床医生解释作为受威胁物种保护和种群恢复一部分的健康或疑似败血症的圈养和康复绿海龟的血培养结果。
