ECHO
- Patient Status
- Released on April 17, 2018
- Date Found
- January 7, 2018
- Location Found
- Hudson Beach, Pasco County, FL
- Reason for Rescue
- Found floating; fibropapilloma tumors; mild epibiota (barnacles).
TRIAGE:
- WEIGHT:
- 4.22 kg (9.30 lbs)
- SCL (STRAIGHT CARAPACE LENGTH):
- 32.9 cm (12.95 in)
- EXAM FINDINGS:
- Alert and responsive; overall good body condition; Small fibropapilloma tumors present; hypothermia.
- INITIAL TREATMENT:
- Received fluids and vitamins.
ECHO’S STORY:
On January 7, 2018, a juvenile green sea turtle was found floating at Hudson Beach in Pasco County, FL with suspected fibropapilloma tumors present. The public reported the turtle to Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Rescue Team, who picked up the turtle and brought it to CMA for triage and care.
Fibropapillomatosis is a virus that is most common in juvenile green sea turtles and is rarely seen in other sea turtle species. The virus causes cauliflower-like tumors to grow on the turtle’s soft tissues. This virus is very contagious so once a turtle with this virus comes into our facility, it is quarantined in our Intensive Care Unit. Although the cause of this virus is still unknown, you can help by keeping our oceans clean of trash and chemical pollutants.
NAMING THEME: Echo was part of our “NATO Phonetic Alphabet” rehab sea turtle naming theme.
TREATMENT UPDATES:
- 8.1.18
-
Ate food first time offered. Swimming full-time.
- 1.29.18
-
Slowly increasing daily diet.
- 2.7.18
-
Surgical procedure performed to remove external fibropapilloma tumors and began oral antibiotics.
All marine turtle footage taken in Florida was obtained with the approval of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) under conditions not harmful to marine turtles. Footage was acquired while conducting authorized conservation activities pursuant to FWC MTP-18-172.