Staff members at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island examine a sea turtle during a veterinary evaluation. (Credit: Georgia Sea Turtle Center)
ATHENS, Ga. - Researchers at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine have identified 19 viruses, including seven previously unknown to science, that could pose future health risks to threatened and endangered sea turtle populations.
What we know:
According to the study, UGA scientists used advanced genetic sequencing to analyze fecal samples gathered from rehabilitated and free-ranging Atlantic and Pacific sea turtles along the U.S. coasts.
The study uncovered a complex viral landscape, revealing seven viruses that had never been documented in any species before, including one belonging to an entirely unclassified family of viruses. Several other identified viruses showed genetic links to known pathogens that infect fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Researchers gathered specimens in partnership with marine wildlife networks, including the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, Mystic Aquarium, and the New England Aquarium. UGA researchers highlighted that while five of the world's seven sea turtle species are classified as threatened or endangered, conservation efforts have historically concentrated almost exclusively on human impacts such as coastal development, ocean pollution, and poaching.
Officials said that prior to this study, fewer than a dozen viruses known to cause illness in sea turtles had been formally identified. The university added that the study could be valuable in the event of a future disease outbreak.
What they're saying:
Dr. James Stanton, corresponding author and interim department head of pathology at UGA VetMed, explained the goal of cataloging the viral species.
"Viral discovery turns unknown unknowns into known unknowns that we can then target for study," Stanton said. "Most of these viruses may never prove to cause disease, but discovering and cataloging them gives us the foundation to recognize the ones that do and determine whether they pose a meaningful threat to already imperiled sea turtle populations."
Lead author Dr. Weerapong "Mac" Laovechprasit, a former marine veterinarian in Thailand and current UGA pathology resident, previously discovered a virus linked to fatal brain disease in freshwater turtles, which inspired this broader study into marine systems.
What we don't know:
Researchers have not determined which of the seven newly discovered viruses actively cause visible illness or mortality in sea turtles.
Officials have not established how these viruses spread between wild sea turtle populations or through marine habitats.
The Source: Information in this report was provided directly by an official press release from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.