Desert tortoise rhinitis
1John
Roberts, 2Mary Brown
3 Melissa Singletary, 3 Karen Wolfe,
4 Ann McLuckie 1Michael Luther,
1Liquang Li
1Alabama
Department of Agriculture and Industries
2 University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine
3Auburn University, College of Veterinary Medicine
4Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
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Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
• Moribund wild tortoise
from sanctuary in
Utah
• Serous ocular
discharge
• Blowing bubbles from
external nares
• Wheezing and
rasping
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Gross lesions
• erosions were seen at
the external opening
of nares
• female with 30
vitellogenic follicles
• decreased body
weight
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Dorsal aspect with carapace removed.
.
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Dorsal aspect of lungs
Lungs were condensed and thickened
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Sagittal section of left nasal cavity and head
exposing internal choanae and brain
nasal cavities contained serous content
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Olfactory nasal tissue, normal vs. diseased
Normal Hit by car
Rhinitis-Utah Desert tortoise
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Nasal Respiratory epithelium, normal vs. diseased
Normal-Hit by car
Rhinitis- Utah Desert Tortoise
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Diseased Respiratory versus Olfactory epithelium
in the nasal cavity in Utah Desert tortoise
Respiratory
Olfactory
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Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of nasal
respiratory epithelium prepared by “pop-off technique”
Suspect Individual mycoplasma on epithelial surface
measuring 400 nm or 0.4 µm
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Culture, ELISA and PCR results
• Mycoplasma testudineum was isolated from the
lungs (Unv. Florida, Mary Brown lab)
• Pasteurella testudinis were isolated from the nares
(TBS lab)
• Serum ELISA was positive for Mycoplasma agassizii
and Mycoplasma testudineum (Unv. Florida, Mary
Brown lab)
• PCR negative for chelonian herpes virus (Uni.
Florida, Elliott Jacobson lab) and Chlamydia
(Auburn Unv. Bernard Kaltenboeck lab)
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Brown MB et al. “Mycoplasma agassizii causes upper respiratory tract disease in the
desert tortoise in the Western Mohave Desert of California”, Infection and Immunity
62(10):4580-4586, 1994.
Snipes KP et al. “Molecular characterization of Pasteurella testudinis isolated from
Desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) with and without upper respiratory tract
disease”, J. of Wildlife Dis 31(1), 22-29, 1995.
Brown DR et al. “Mycoplasma testudineum sp. nov., from a desert tortoise
(Gopherus agassizii) with upper respiratory tract disease”, Int. J. of Systematic and
Evolutionary Microbiology” 54:1527-1529, 2004.
Dickinson VM et al .“ Mycoplasmosis in Free-ranging Desert Tortoises in Utah and
Arizona”, J. of Wildlife Dis 41(4): 839-842, 2005.
Wendland LD et al . “Improved Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay To Reveal
Mycoplasma agassizii Exposure: a Valuable Tool in the Management of
Environmentally Sensitive Tortoise Populations”, Clinical and Vaccine Immunology
14(9):1190-1195, 2007.
Wendland LD et al. Social behavior drives the dynamics or respiratory disease in
threatened tortoises”, Ecology 91(5), 1257-1262, 2010.
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Cover image from ECOLOGY May 2010
“Social behavior drives the dynamics of respiratory disease in
threatened tortoises” Wendland et. al , Ecology, 91(5), 2010
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