Abstract

BUENROSTRO-SILVA, Alejandra; GARCIA-GRAJALES, Jesús; SANCHEZ-NAVA, Petra  and  RUIZ-GOMEZ, María de Lourdes. First findings of ulcerative and necrotizing dermatitis in olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) in La Escobilla, Oaxaca, Mexico. Cienc. mar [online]. 2023, vol.49, e3329.  Epub Dec 08, 2023. ISSN 0185-3880.  https://doi.org/10.7773/cm.y2023.3329.

Ulcerative and necrotizing dermatitis (UND) is a cutaneous disease caused by traumatic skin lesions on the necks of sea turtles. In this study we report the first findings of UND in free-ranging olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) in La Escobilla, Oaxaca, Mexico. We found several skin injury conditions on the necks of nesting turtles in the arribada events of the 2021 nesting season. Samples from injuries were taken with sterile swabs for bacteriological analyses, and antimicrobial resistance profiles were studied. Of the 525 turtles examined, 278 had injuries on the back of the neck (52.9% prevalence). Two bacteria (Pseudomonassp. andStaphylococcussp.) and 1 fungus (Candidasp.) were identified in 8 turtles with UND. Ciprofloxacin was the only antibiotic with high inhibition ofStaphylococcussp. andPseudomonassp. We recommend initiating a continuous monitoring program to follow the occurrence of dermatitis disease inL. olivaceain subsequent years to better document prevalence and progression of skin injuries in more individuals.

Keywords : dermatitis; disease; Staphylococcus; Pseudomonas; olive ridley.

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