Diseased green turtles

1992/12/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ekologia
• Ingurumena

It has been several years since the opening of a skin epidemic in sea turtles in the Florida archipelago in the US. This skin epidemic is called fibropapilloma and reduces the population of sea turtles.

The tumors generated are the size of a tennis ball and develop in the fleshy parts of reptiles: mouth, eyes and wings.

The effect of the infection is deadly, as turtles cannot swim, see or feed. They still do not know the origin of cutaneous fibropapilloma.

Although researchers think it may be due to contamination or viruses, so far they have not decided anything safe. Meanwhile, the only way to control the epidemic has been surgery. Therefore, sixty-five turtles have been surgically treated at the Hide Harbo Turtle Hospital, which opened its doors this summer.