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| » Publication : J Herpe Med Surg : J Herpe Med Surg Aug'05 Vol. 15 No. 2 |
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J Herpe Med Surg
Shell and Systemic Hyalohyphomycosis in Fly River Turtles, Carettochelys insculpta, Caused by Paecilomyces lilacinus * Maud Lafortune, DMV, MSc, DACZM, James F. X. Wellehan, DVM, MS, Scott P. Terrel, DVM, DACVP, Elliott R. Jacobson, DVM, PhD, DACZM, Darryl Heard, BSc, BVMS, PhD, DACZM, James W. Kimbrough, PhD
* Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0126, USA Eleven wild-caught Fly River turtle hatchlings, Carettochelys insculpta, were presented for anorexia and circular shell lesions. One animal died shortly after arrival, and three others within the next month. Necropsy of two animals and one shell biopsy revealed systemic and shell mycoses. A biopsy culture demonstrated infection due to Paecilomyces lilacinus, a ubiquitous fungal pathogen rarely affecting mammals, fish, and reptiles. Malachite green, formaldehyde, and parenteral itraconazole were used to effectively treat the shell lesions. In addition, changes in husbandry were made, and included frequent water changes, increasing the salinity to 7 ppt, increasing the water temperature to 32 degrees C (90 degrees F), and provision of enteral support. [ABSTRACT] |