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Email the author (Login required) Clinical and hematological assessment during rehabilitation of a wild green turtle (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis in Argentina
Submited: 2025-07-10 09:05:32 | Published: 2026-01-19 11:08:33
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3856/vol54-issue1-fulltext-3503
Abstract
Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a debilitating, transmissible neoplastic disease that affects all sea turtles, particularly green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). Although FP is endemic to tropical and subtropical regions, it was recently reported in Argentina. This study presents the management, rehabilitation, and clinical and hematological findings of a wild juvenile green sea turtle affected by FP that was found stranded in the Río de la Plata estuary. We established baseline data for managing FP in stranded turtles in Argentina and detailed the hematological and electrolyte effects associated with the turtles' presence in the estuary. These imbalances were successfully resolved during rehabilitation. Our findings suggest that environmental degradation of the estuary led to a diluted diet and subsequent ingestion of plastic, as evidenced by the recovery of plastic fragments from fecal material and the significant improvement in hematological parameters post-rehabilitation. This data is critical for developing strategies to monitor green turtles' health and evaluate environmental conditions in Argentina. The coastline of Buenos Aires and the Rio de la Plata estuary are vital feeding grounds for green turtles. However, they are also major recipients of transboundary industrial and domestic pollution. These results emphasize the urgent need for collaborative conservation efforts among countries in the Southwest Atlantic region.
