Fusarium solani hyalohyphomycosisin loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta): a diagnostic and therapeutical challenge.

Fusarium spp. are pathogens plants, animals and humans, isolated from soil, plants and water systems. They are distributed worldwide and include saprotrophic, biotrophic­pathogenic or endophytic fungi, or producers of mycotoxins (fumonisins). Human isolates are becoming the leading mycosis affecting immunocompromised patients and frequently involved in mycoses of aquatic mammals and reptiles, included sea turtles or their eggs. Here reported are three severe cases of unusual localizations of Fusarium in loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and their diagnostic, therapeutic and clinical output. In the clinical practice, correct genus­level identification of Fusarium species is critically important to enable correct treatment as in vitroantifungal susceptibility testing is mandatory for each Fusarium­like isolate. For this reason, susceptibility testing can significantly help the practitioner in choosing the most appropriate therapeutic protocol.

First multicenter coprological survey on helminth parasite communities of free-living loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Adriatic Sea and Northern Ionian Sea.

The prevalence of endoparasite infections in 83 free-living specimens of Caretta caretta, classified as vulnerable species, from the Adriatic Sea and Northern Ionian Sea was investigated by coprological examination. Thirty-seven (44.6%) turtles were found to be infected with helminths. The helminth infections found were: Rhytidodes gelatinosus and Sulcascaris sulcata (18.1% each), Hapalotrema mistroides (13.2%), Cymatocarpus solearis (9.6%), Eniodotrema megachondrus (7.2%), Kathlania/Tonaudia sp. (3.6%), Neospirorchis sp., Octangium sagitta and Plesiochorus cymbiformis (1.2% each). There were no significant differences in the total prevalence of helminth infections between sexes, size classes, and seasonal periods. Conversely, the prevalence of helminth infections was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in accidentally caught turtles than in stranded turtles. Highly significant differences in prevalence of helminthiases were also seen among marine sampling areas. This report provides important baseline information about the helminth fauna of free-living C. caretta in the examined geographical region. This is also the first report of O. sagitta infection in C. caretta thus broadening the host range of the parasite.

Botulism in Wild Birds and Changes in Environmental Habitat: A Relationship to be Considered.

Any human activity, even if aimed at the improvement of a natural area, can potentially affect wildlife, leading to possible short-term or long-term changes due to the human-wildlife interaction. In this study, a botulism outbreak which occurred in waterfowl in a nature reserve after a conservative environmental action is reported. More than 180 different species of wild birds, including seventy waterfowl species, live in the area. The wildlife reserve rangers built an artificial pond equipped with draining canals in the wetland in order to improve the environment of waterfowl species and to facilitate their supply of food. Then, presumably due to tidal rides, gray mullets (Mugil cephalus) arrived from the sea and settled in the pond. The number of fishes gradually increased, and several fishes died with a peak of mortality in the summer of 2017, creating a great amount of decaying organic material and the optimal conditions for Clostridium botulinum growth and toxin production. A botulism outbreak then occurred rapidly and was characterised by flaccid paralysis and sudden mortality of the birds. Seven mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos), 4 common teals (Anas crecca), 1 garganey (Anas querquedula), 2 wood sandpipers (Tringa glareola), 1 little egret (Egretta garzetta), 1 little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), and 4 Eurasian coots (Fulica atra) were found dead. Interestingly, the toxin identified as responsible for the disease outbreak was the mosaic of type C and D toxins (C/D type). The prompt removal of the fish carcasses led to a rapid resolution of the outbreak of the disease, highlighting the relevance of a correct management for any action in environmental contexts. The conclusion is that any human activity in wildlife habitats should be carefully considered in order to assess the possible impacts and to quickly identify the possible risks of changes in wildlife population.

Pharmacokinetic behavior of meloxicam in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) after intramuscular and intravenous administration.

Data on reptile analgesia are scarce for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids and almost completely lacking in sea turtles, even though emergencies requiring correct pain management are very frequent in their rehabilitative medicine; therefore, dosage regimens extrapolated from other species involve the risk of clinical failure and damage to the animals. We describe the pharmacokinetic behavior of meloxicam in the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). We chose meloxicam because of its selective anti-cyclooxygenase-2 activity and lesser adverse side effects. No data are available on the capacity of turtles to tolerate NSAIDs, so we chose a dose of 0.1 mg/kg of meloxicam. Plasma concentrations of meloxicam were unexpectedly low both for intravenous (IV; maximum concentration [C(max)] = 0.04±0.02 µg/mL) and intramuscular (IM; C(max) = 0.07±0.09 µg/mL) administration. A double-peak phenomenon occurred after both IV (time for second peak concentration T(max2) = 10.33±10.89 h) and IM (T(max2) = 1.17±0.75 h). The second peak after IM injection was premature, so some difficulty and delay in absorption appears to be an appropriate explanation. Furthermore, the area under the curve, and therefore systemic bioavailability (F = 31.82±28.24%), after both IV (0.30±0.29) and IM (0.10±0.03) injection appeared particularly limited. Terminal elimination slope and mean residence time indicated fast elimination after IM dosing; as a consequence, plasma concentrations dropped below analytic limits in 8 h. Considering that IM is the favored route of administration of drugs in rescue centers, it is unlikely that meloxicam at 0.1 mg/kg is an appropriate choice, particularly in long-term pain management protocols.

Pharmacokinetics of marbofloxacin in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) after single intravenous and intramuscular doses.

The disposition kinetics of marbofloxacin at a single dose of 2 mg/kg bodyweight were determined in a crossover trial with five clinically healthy loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) after i.v. and i.m. administration. Marbofloxacin plasma concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (LOD/LOQ 0.05 microg/ml). Data were subjected to noncompartmental analysis. The integrated pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic variables showed that optimal area under the curve (AUC(0-24 h)): minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) (>125) and Cmax: MIC (>8) ratios, as reported for concentration-dependent bactericidal antimicrobials (e.g., fluoroquinolones), were achievable with both a once daily i.v. or i.m. dose for microorganisms with MIC < or = 0.5 microg/ml, while a Cmax: MIC > 8 for MIC > or = 1 microg/ml was achievable only after the i.v. administration. The absence of adverse reactions in the animals after i.v. or i.m. administration of marbofloxacin and the favorable pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties after a single dose of 2 mg/kg suggest the possibility of its safe and effective clinical use in loggerhead sea turtles.