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Photos: Herpes virus causing cancerous tumors on Texas marine life in the Gulf of Mexico
By JeriLynn Thorpe, mySA.com / San Antonio Express-News
Updated 8:05 pm, Wednesday, June 28, 2017
IMAGE 1 OF 5
The F.P. virus causes cancerous tumors to spread over the bodies of sea turtles.
A strain of the herpes virus is causing cancerous tumors to appear on Texas sea turtles, resulting in multiple surgeries a week, according to reports.
"It's a condition that can be debilitating to the turtles," Dr. Donna Shaver, chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore, told mySA.com.
Between cancerous tumors, entanglement in fish gear and being struck by a boat's propeller, among other threats,"it's a tough life for a sea turtle out there," Shaver said.
READ ALSO: Invasive species found in Canyon Lake
The recent virus affecting these marine animals is formally named Fibropapillomatosis, but doctor's refer to it now just as F.P.
News Channel
F.P. is specifically affecting green turtles, which is a threatened species in Texas.
The turtles are brought into rehab to remove the tumors if they are very severe, Shaver said.
Shaver said that F.P. is a common virus in various locations in the US, as well as other countries, but has been found in more recent years in Texas starting in 2010.
READ ALSO: Video: Man drags 6-foot bull shark back into Gulf at Bob Hall Pier on Padre Island
F.P. is thought to spread from turtle to turtle through marine leeches that carry the virus, according to a report by KRISTV.
As far as transmission between turtles and people, Shaver said there is no evidence to support that, but people are always advised to watch for warnings of increased bacteria counts in the water.
For more information on sea turtles or to report a stranded or nestling sea turtle, visit the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery website.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...as-Gulf-of-Mexico-11253312.php#photo-13161658
By JeriLynn Thorpe, mySA.com / San Antonio Express-News
Updated 8:05 pm, Wednesday, June 28, 2017
IMAGE 1 OF 5
The F.P. virus causes cancerous tumors to spread over the bodies of sea turtles.
A strain of the herpes virus is causing cancerous tumors to appear on Texas sea turtles, resulting in multiple surgeries a week, according to reports.
"It's a condition that can be debilitating to the turtles," Dr. Donna Shaver, chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore, told mySA.com.
Between cancerous tumors, entanglement in fish gear and being struck by a boat's propeller, among other threats,"it's a tough life for a sea turtle out there," Shaver said.
READ ALSO: Invasive species found in Canyon Lake
The recent virus affecting these marine animals is formally named Fibropapillomatosis, but doctor's refer to it now just as F.P.
News Channel
F.P. is specifically affecting green turtles, which is a threatened species in Texas.
The turtles are brought into rehab to remove the tumors if they are very severe, Shaver said.
Shaver said that F.P. is a common virus in various locations in the US, as well as other countries, but has been found in more recent years in Texas starting in 2010.
READ ALSO: Video: Man drags 6-foot bull shark back into Gulf at Bob Hall Pier on Padre Island
F.P. is thought to spread from turtle to turtle through marine leeches that carry the virus, according to a report by KRISTV.
As far as transmission between turtles and people, Shaver said there is no evidence to support that, but people are always advised to watch for warnings of increased bacteria counts in the water.
For more information on sea turtles or to report a stranded or nestling sea turtle, visit the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery website.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...as-Gulf-of-Mexico-11253312.php#photo-13161658
