Abstract
ABSTRACT The present work aimed to report the histopathological findings verified in lungs of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) retrieved from the coasts of the states of Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Between the years 2010 and 2014, 29 E. imbricata individuals were found stranded on the coasts, already dead or dying during treatment. Lung samples of all specimens were collected during necropsies, fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, subjected to routine histological processing and classified histomorphologically. The findings revealed that 37.93% of the specimens presented lung lesions. Of these, 90.91% were rescued alive and 9.09% were found dead; 63.63% were females and 36.37% were males. The mean weight was 5.44 Kg and the mean length 39 cm, characterizing young individuals. The animals originated from São Francisco de Itabapoana - RJ, Aracruz - ES, São Mateus - ES, Guarapari - ES, Linhares - ES, Itapemirim - ES, and Anchieta - ES. Macroscopic analysis revealed presence of foam, hyperemia, nodules in the parenchyma, cyst and caseous material. Microscopic examination evidenced heterophilic bronchopneumonia, parasitic granulomatous pneumonia caused by spirorchiids, bacterial granulomatous pneumonia, fungal granulomatous pneumonia, and congestion. It was concluded that juvenile specimens of Eretmochelys imbricata, females and males, originated from the states of Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro and found stranded both alive or dead, have significant lung lesions, mainly inflammatory ones, associated or not with infectious agents.
Highlights
Five turtle species inhabit the Brazilian coast: Chelonia mydas, Caretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata, Lepidochelys olivacea and Dermochelys coriacea
These results demonstrate that more than one macroscopic lesion can be found in the lungs of a single animal
The lesions found during microscopic examination were heterophilic bronchopneumonia in 45.45% of the animals (5/11), parasitic granulomatous pneumonia caused by spirorchiids in 27.28% (3/11), bacterial granulomatous pneumonia in 27.28% (3/11), fungal granulomatous pneumonia in 9.09% (1/11), and congestion in 9.09% (1/11) of the individuals
Summary
Five turtle species inhabit the Brazilian coast: Chelonia mydas, Caretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata, Lepidochelys olivacea and Dermochelys coriacea. Young animals are distributed all over the north-northeastern coast, and in smaller scale in the south-southeast (Marcovaldi et al, 2011). As feeding areas, they use the beaches of the states of São Paulo (SP), in the northern coast, and Ceará (CE) (Gallo et al, 2006), and mainly the oceanic islands of Fernando de Noronha – Pernambuco (PE), Atol das Rocas – Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Abrolhos – Bahia (BA), Arvoredo – Santa Catarina (SC) and the island of Trindade – Espírito Santo (ES) (Marcovaldi et al, 2011). In Australia, Glazebrook et al (1989) and Glazebrook and Campbell (1990) reported microscopic lesions caused by Spirorchiidae eggs in four and two hawksbill turtles, respectively. Dutra et al (2012), on the Brazilian coast, and Santoro et al (2015) in Costa Rica analyzed only one animal
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