Os herpesvírus são normalmente adaptados a um único grupo de hospedeiros, e esta associação parasita-hospedeiro está ligada à sua seleção e coevolução. Estes agentes podem causar infecções latentes, onde normalmente o vírus não se replica. Durante o ciclo lítico, no entanto, outras células são infectadas e liberam partículas virais capazes de infectar outros indivíduos. O CFPHV (Chelonid fibropapilloma-associated herpesvirus) tem sido apontado como principal agente infeccioso ligado a fibropapilomatose em tartarugas-marinhas. A doença caracteriza-se por uma proliferação cutânea benigna mas que, dependendo da sua severidade, pode comprometer a sobrevivência do indivíduo afetado, sendo por isso apontada como importante ameaça a conservação de tartarugas-marinhas, particularmente de tartarugas verdes (Chelonia mydas), a principal espécie acometida pela doença. Alguns aspectos da biologia do CFPHV e sua relação com as tartarugas verdes foram estudados no presente trabalho. Primeiramente, a capacidade deste agente em se disseminar pelo ambiente e infectar outros indivíduos, e as possíveis vias envolvidas nesta dispersão. Em seguida, avaliou-se os possíveis tecidos em que o herpesvírus pode estabelecer a infecção latente. Por fim, determinou-se a prevalência de indivíduos de Chelonia mydas infectados pelo CFPHV em duas áreas de alimentação (Ubatuba-SP e Vitória-ES) e em uma áreas mista - de alimentação e reprodução (Fernando de Noronha-PE). No primeiro estudo, observou-se que a prevalência de CFPHV nas amostras de secreções de Chelonia mydas variou entre 0%, no Espírito Santo, a 25%, em São Paulo. Os haplótipos afetados foram CMA-3 e CMA-8, e a variante viral encontrada não havia sido detectada anteriormente no Brasil, mas possui elevada similaridade com vírus provenientes do Golfo da Guiné e de Porto Rico. Os resultados sugerem que estes vírus podem ser transmitidos por secreções e também circular entre diferentes regiões. No segundo estudo, detectou-se a presença de CFPHV no cérebro de 5 animais necropsiados e também na pele e em lesões fibropapilomatosas. Em um dos animais foi detectada a presença de uma única variante de CFPHV no cérebro, pele e tumores. Esta variante ainda não havia sido detectada no Brasil e apresentou 100% de identidade com a variante detectada nas secreções. Para avaliar a relação entre haplótipos e variantes virais, o terceiro estudo determinou a prevalência de CFPHV em pele e tumores de 136 indivíduos - 9,56% de indivíduos sadios apresentavam o agente em tecido epitelial e 45,58% dos animais foram positivos para CFPHV, quando considerados também animais com fibropapilomatose. Duas novas variantes de herpesvírus foram encontradas: Var. 7, em Ubatuba-SP e Vitória-ES e Var. 8, em Vitória-ES. Não houve associação entre uma variante viral e um haplótipo. Os resultados observados permitem apontar que o CFPHV pode estabelecer infecções latentes; o vírus pode \"migrar\" entre diferentes regiões, junto com seus hospedeiros; partículas virais podem ser liberadas por secreções; duas novas variantes foram identificadas. Altas taxas de substituição de nucleotídeos em CFPHV podem indicar o surgimento das variantes destas áreas, mas a alta similaridade entre as variantes detectadas e àquelas de Porto Rico e Golfo da Guiné sugerem também a entrada de novas variantes na costa brasileira. / Herpesviruses are usually adapted to a single group of hosts, and this host-parasite association is linked to its selection and co-evolution. These agents can cause latent infections, where the virus usually does not replicate. During the lytic cycle, however, other cells are infected and release viral particles capable of infecting other individuals.The CFPHV (Chelonid fibropapilloma-associated herpesviru) has been indicated as the main infectious agent linked to fibropapillomatosis on sea turtles. The disease is characterized by a benign skin proliferation, but, depending on its severity, can compromise the survival of the affected individual, therefore considered an important threat to the conservation of sea turtles, especially green turtles (Chelonia mydas), the main species affected by the disease. Some aspects of the CFPHV biology and its relation to green turtles were studied in this work. Firstly, the ability of this agent to spread in the environment and infect other individuals, and the possible pathways involved in this dispersion. Then, potential tissues wherein the herpesvirus can establish latent infection were assessed. Finally, we determined the prevalence of Chelonia mydas individuals infected by CFPHV in two feeding areas (Ubatuba-SP and Vitória-ES) and in a mixed area of feeding and reproduction (Fernando de Noronha-PE). In the first study, it was observed that the prevalence of CFPHV in samples of Chelonia mydas secretions ranged from 0% in Espírito Santo, to 25% in São Paulo. Affected haplotypes were CM-A3 and CM-A8, and viral variant found had not been previously detected in Brazil, but it is significantly similar to viruses found in the Gulf of Guinea and Puerto Rico. The results suggest that these viruses can be transmitted by secretions and can also circulate among different regions. Considering the low maintenance of the agent within the environment, they are probably brought by individuals with the latent virus, being capable of releasing viral particles during the herpesvirus replication cycle. In the second study, the presence of CFPHV was detected inside the brain of 5 necropsied animals, besides the detection of the virus on the skin and fibropapillomatosis lesions. In one of the animals, it was possible to characterize the CFPHV and the presence of a single viral variant inside the brain, tumors and on the skin of the same animal was detected. This variant had not yet been detected in Brazil and showed 100% identity with the variant detected in secretions. These results indicate that the virus may establish a latent infection in nerve tissue. To evaluate the relationship between haplotypes and viral variants, the third study determined the prevalence of CFPHV on skin and tumors of 136 individuals - 9.56% of healthy individuals showed the agent in epithelial tissue and 45.58% of the animals were positive for CFPHV, when also considered animals with fibropapillomatosis. Two new variants of the herpesvirus were found, Var. 7 in Ubatuba-SP and Vitória-ES and Var. 8 only in Vitória-ES. C. mydas individuals of different haplotypes were infected, and there was no association between a viral variant and a haplotype. The observed results permitted to point that CFPHV can establish latent infections in Chelonia mydas; the virus can \"migrate\" among different regions, along with its hosts; viral particles can be released by secretion; viral variants previously detected were not found in these areas, but two new variants were detected. The high nucleotide substitution rates observed in CFPHV may indicate the emergence of these variants in these areas, but the high similarity among the detected variants and those identified in Puerto Rico and Gulf of Guinea also suggest the entry of new variants into the Brazilian coast.

A fibropapilomatose é uma neoplasia caracterizada pela formação de múltiplos tumores que acomete, mais frequentemente, a espécie de tartaruga marinha Chelonia mydas. Estudos recentes apontam o Chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) como o provável agente etiológico dessa doença, embora a associação com ambientes antropogenicamente alterados parecem contribuir para o desenvolvimento da doença. Nesse estudo, biópsias de tumores e secreções de tartarugas verdes capturadas no litoral do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, foram submetidas a análises histológicas e moleculares visando detectar e caracterizar ChHV5. Em 45,5 % dos casos, os achados histopatológicos revelaram células epiteliais balonizantes com corpúsculos de inclusão intranucleares. ChHV5 foram detectados nas biópsias de pele e oculares dos animais e em secreções oculares e saliva por PCR. A análise das sequências parciais do gene da polimerase do ChHV5 detectadas revelou duas sequências gênicas distintas entre si. A análise filogenética indicou que as amostras brasileiras são similares às amostras de ChHV5 do grupo filogeográfico do Atlântico, compartilhando o mesmo clado que amostras provenientes do Golfo da Guiné e de Porto Rico, sugerindo um possível fluxo dos vírus entre essas três regiões. / Fibropapillomatosis is a neoplastic disease characterized by the formation of multiple tumors affecting different species of sea turtles and, most often, Chelonia mydas. Recent studies indicate that Chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) is the etiological agent of this disease, though its association with anthropogenically altered environments also appears to contribute to disease expression and tumor formation. In this study, tumor biopsy and secretions from green turtles captured off the coast of São Paulo State, Brazil, were used in histological and molecular analyses to detect and characterize ChHV5. In 45.5 % of cases, the tumor histopathological findings revealed ballooning degeneration with intranuclear inclusion bodies. ChHV5 was detected using polymerase chain reaction on the animals skin, ocular tumor biopsies, and ocular and oral secretions. The analysis of the detected ChHV5 sequences revealed two distinct genetic sequences together. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Brazilian samples were similar to ChHV5 samples described for the Atlantic phylogeographic group and are therefore part of the same clade as the Gulf of Guinea and Puerto Rico samples. This similarity suggests a possible flow of the virus between these three regions.

Fibropapilomatose (FP) é uma doença caracterizada por múltiplas massas de tumores cutâneos variando de 0,1 a mais de 30 cm em diâmetro. Afeta primariamente tartarugas-verdes (Chelonia mydas), mas também outras espécies de tartarugas marinhas ao redor do mundo. O objetivo deste estudo é, através de dados já sistematicamente coletados pelo Programa Brasileiro de Proteção, Pesquisa e manejo das Tartarugas Marinhas - Projeto TAMAR-IBAMA, caracterizar, no tempo e no espaço, a ocorrência desta doença em tartarugas marinhas na costa brasileira, entre os anos de 2000 a 2005. As tartarugas encontradas, vivas ou mortas, foram identificadas, medidas e examinadas quanto à presença ou ausência de tumores. Nesse período foram examinadas 10.170 tartarugas marinhas, sendo 1.243 tartarugas-de-pente, (Eretmochelys imbricata), das quais 2 apresentaram tumores; entre as 250 tartarugas- cabeçudas, (Caretta caretta), 5 apresentaram tumores; entre as 288 tartarugas-oliva (Lepidochelys olivacea), 3 apresentaram tumores; nenhuma das 30 tartarugas-gigantes, (Dermochelys coriacea) examinadas tinham tumores. A maior parte dos registros (82,20 %; 8.359 de 10.170) correspondeu a tartarugas-verdes (Chelonia mydas), das quais 1.288 apresentavam tumores. Foram coletadas amostras de tumores de 80 tartarugas para análise histopatológica; todas foram positivas para fibropapilomatose. A média da prevalência nacional geral para Chelonia mydas foi de 15.41%; apenas nas áreas costeiras a doença foi verificada. Nenhuma ocorrência foi registrada nas ilhas oceânicas do Atol das Rocas e do Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha. Os resultados das freqüências de tumores por estado foram: Bahia, 15,81% (211/1335); Ceará, 36,94% (181/490); Espírito Santo, 27,43% (469/1710); Pernambuco-Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha, 0,00% (0/501); Rio de Janeiro, 5,96% (9/151); Rio Grande do Norte-região costeira, 31,43% (33/105); Rio Grande do Norte-Atol das Rocas, 0,00% (0/486); Sergipe, 18,46% (12/65); São Paulo, 10,73 % (371/3456). Os animais afetados variaram de juvenis com comprimento curvilíneo de carapaça (CCC) mínimo de 30,0 cm, subadultos a adultos com máximo de 112 cm. A prevalência de tumores associado a fibropapilomatose aumentou com o CCC até 80,0 cm e decresceu abruptamente. A caracterização da doença foi realizada com um grupo de 202 tartarugas verdes afetadas em uma agregação no Estado do Espírito Santo. Nesse grupo, o número de tumores variou de 1 a 179 tumores em um único animal, tendo como média 21 tumores por tartaruga afetada. 72,5 % dos tumores estavam localizados na região anterior corpórea do animal, 25,2% na região posterior e 2,3% na carapaça e plastrão. Nenhuma tartaruga apresentou tumores na cavidade oral. Para análise de escore de tumor em tartarugas afetadas com FP, o escore de tumor 1 e 2 foi predominante, com 40,61% (80 de 197) e 51,27% (101 de 197) respectivamente. Apenas 8,12% (16 de 197) das tartarugas tiveram escore de tumor 3. / Fibropapilomatosis (FP) is a disease characterized by multiple masses of cutaneous tumors varying from 0,1 to more than 30 cm in diameter. It has affected primarily green turtles (Chelonia mydas), but also other species of sea turtles around the world. The aim of this study is, through the data already systematically collected by the Brazilian Sea Turtle Protection, Research and Management Program - Projeto TAMAR - IBAMA to characterize the occurrence of this disease in marine turtles along the Brazilian coast to within time and space, from 2000 to 2005. Turtles found alive or dead were identified as for the species, measured and examined as for the presence or absence of tumors. 10.170 sea turtles were examined: 1.243 of them were Hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricata), two of which showed tumors; five of the 250 loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and three of 288 olive ridley\'s turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), showed tumors; none of the 30 leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) carried tumors. Mostly of the records, (82,20%; 8.359/10170) corresponded to green turtles (Chelonia mydas), 1.288 of which had tumors. Samples of tumors were collected from 80 turtles for histopathologycal analysis; all examined samples were positive for fibropapillomatosis. The average nationwide tumor prevalence in Chelonia mydas was 15.41%; the disease was detected only in coastal areas: no occurrence was recorded for the oceanic islands of Atol das Rocas and Fernando de Noronha Archipelago. The tumor frequencies by state were: Bahia, 15,81% (211/1335); Ceará, 36,94% (181/490); Espírito Santo, 27,43% (469/1710); Pernambuco - Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, 0,00% (0/501); Rio de Janeiro, 5,96% (9/151); Rio Grande do Norte- coastal area, 31,43% (33/105); Rio Grande do Norte - Atol das Rocas, 0,00% (0/486); Sergipe, 18,46% (12/65); São Paulo, 10,73% (371/3456). The affected animals varied from juvenile, with minimum curved carapace length (CCC) 30,0 cm to sub-adults, adults with a maximum 112 cm. The prevalence of tumours associated to fibropapillomatosis increased with CCC up to 80,0 cm and then decreased abruptly. The number of tumors in 202 affected green turtles from an aggregation in the state of Espírito Santo varied from 1 to 179 tumors in a single animal, with an average of 21 tumors per affected turtle. 72,5% of tumors were located in the anterior half of the animal\'s bodies, 25,2% in the posterior area, 2,3% on the shell and plastron. No turtle had tumors in the oral cavity. A predominance of turtles was registered with tumors score 1, 40,61% (80 of 197) and score 2, 51,27% (101/197). Only 8,12% (16/197) of the turtles that had score 3. For analysis of tumor score in affected turtles with FP, the tumors score 1 and 2 was predominant, with (40,61%; 80 of 197) and (51,27%; 101/197) respectively. Only 8,12 % (16/197) of the turtles attained tumors score 3.

Marine turtle numbers are in a state of flux around the world. Six of the seven remaining species of these long-lived animals are threatened; with the seventh being listed data deficient. Reasons for these fluctuations are speculated to be due to human related impacts (direct) and increase in disease occurrence caused by changes in the natural environment (indirect). Most direct impacts have been identified and strategies implemented to mitigate their effects with varying degrees of success; however the indirect effects on marine animals remain an understudied area. This thesis outlined the development of ante- and post-mortem diagnostic techniques to identify prevalent diseases affecting two marine turtle species in southern Queensland over a four year (2006-2009) period. This data was used to determine the impact of disease on turtle survivorship. Two-hundred and ninety green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Moreton and Shoalwater Bays were captured, clinically assessed and blood sampled. Clinically healthy animals (n = 211) were used to derive biochemical and haematological reference intervals using two methods. Comparisons with clinically unhealthy animals (n = 25) indicated all unhealthy animals had at least some plasma biochemical and haematological values outside the derived intervals (albumin, 48% of unhealthy animals; alkaline phosphatase (ALP), 35%; aspartate transaminase (AST), 13%; creatinine, 30%; globulin, 3%; glucose, 34%; lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), 26%; phosphorus, 22%; sodium, 13%; thrombocytes, 57%; and monocytes, 5%). Amongst small immature animals, those with Chelonibia testudinaria plastron barnacle counts of at least 20 were approximately three times more likely to be unhealthy than turtles with no barnacles. In addition, small immature and mature turtles were more likely to be unhealthy than large immature turtles (Chapter 2). By the same method, 101 loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in Moreton Bay were assessed and bled. Clinically healthy animals (n = 63) were used to derive intervals. Comparisons with clinically unhealthy animals (n = 23) indicated 82% and 45% had at least one biochemical and hematological result, respectively, outside of at least one of the calculated intervals. Neither sex nor maturity (mature versus large immature) influenced the risk of being clinically unhealthy (Chapter 3). A standardised approach to post-mortem examination of marine turtles for veterinary clinicians with a concurrent descriptive review of gross and microscopic pathological lesions commonly seen during examination in Australia (Chapter 4) was used to accurately determine diseases and causes of death in 100 green turtles submitted from various regions of southern Queensland for examination. Spirorchiid parasitism was found to be the most frequently occurring cause of mortality (41.8%), followed by gastrointestinal impaction (11.8%), microbiological infectious diseases (5.2%) and trauma (5.2%). Spirorchiid parasitism with associated inflammation (75%) was the most frequently occurring disease followed by gastrointestinal impaction (5.1%). Season and turtle age had limited influences on disease. Severity of spirorchiidiasis in the brain was independent of severity in other organs (Chapter 5). From these examinations, the most prevalent disease syndrome (spirorchiidiasis) and a previously unreported finding in Australian waters (corneal fibropapillomatosis) were selected to be examined in greater detail. Spirorchiid parasites from four organs in five green turtles were identified by established morphological and molecular techniques. Morphological study of adults identified Carettacola sp. in the serosal wall of the gastrointestinal tract, Hapalotrema mehrai in the heart and Learedius learedi in the spleen. Worms from the brain probably belonged to the genus Neospirorchis. DNA sequences from a portion of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene were obtained; but only matches for Hapalotrema mehrai and Learedius learedi were made. The prevalence and severity of this disease warrants further investigation into development of molecular techniques for use as a prognostic tool for turtles entering rehabilitation (Chapter 6). Chelonid corneal fibropapillomatosis, a previously unreported disease manifestation in Australia, was identified in 0.5% of 787 examined green turtles in 2008 (Chapter 7). This novel syndrome was shown to reduce visibility, potentially negatively affecting turtle survivorship and should be monitored for further spread. Findings from this thesis and the published literature were used to derive a mathematical model to determine the effects of identified diseases on Moreton Bay green turtle survivorship. This model demonstrated diseases at current prevalence will not negatively affect survivorship but an adverse environmental disruption or an increase in current disease frequency may threaten these animals (Chapter 8). Information presented in this thesis was used to test the general hypothesis ‘Differences in disease and health between stranded and functional populations of marine turtles will indicate major and currently unmeasured causes of population decline.’ This hypothesis was partially upheld. Differences in disease and health status between stranded and functional populations were demonstrated, but more work is required to comprehensively examine these statuses. Diagnostics and continued environmental assessment should become the focus of future investigations. These findings should be incorporated in future management strategies.

Fibropapilomatose (FP) é uma doença caracterizada por múltiplas massas de tumores cutâneos variando de 0,1 a mais de 30 cm em diâmetro. Afeta primariamente tartarugas-verdes (Chelonia mydas), mas também outras espécies de tartarugas marinhas ao redor do mundo. O objetivo deste estudo é, através de dados já sistematicamente coletados pelo Programa Brasileiro de Proteção, Pesquisa e manejo das Tartarugas Marinhas - Projeto TAMAR-IBAMA, caracterizar, no tempo e no espaço, a ocorrência desta doença em tartarugas marinhas na costa brasileira, entre os anos de 2000 a 2005. As tartarugas encontradas, vivas ou mortas, foram identificadas, medidas e examinadas quanto à presença ou ausência de tumores. Nesse período foram examinadas 10.170 tartarugas marinhas, sendo 1.243 tartarugas-de-pente, (Eretmochelys imbricata), das quais 2 apresentaram tumores; entre as 250 tartarugas- cabeçudas, (Caretta caretta), 5 apresentaram tumores; entre as 288 tartarugas-oliva (Lepidochelys olivacea), 3 apresentaram tumores; nenhuma das 30 tartarugas-gigantes, (Dermochelys coriacea) examinadas tinham tumores. A maior parte dos registros (82,20 %; 8.359 de 10.170) correspondeu a tartarugas-verdes (Chelonia mydas), das quais 1.288 apresentavam tumores. Foram coletadas amostras de tumores de 80 tartarugas para análise histopatológica; todas foram positivas para fibropapilomatose. A média da prevalência nacional geral para Chelonia mydas foi de 15.41%; apenas nas áreas costeiras a doença foi verificada. Nenhuma ocorrência foi registrada nas ilhas oceânicas do Atol das Rocas e do Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha. Os resultados das freqüências de tumores por estado foram: Bahia, 15,81% (211/1335); Ceará, 36,94% (181/490); Espírito Santo, 27,43% (469/1710); Pernambuco-Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha, 0,00% (0/501); Rio de Janeiro, 5,96% (9/151); Rio Grande do Norte-região costeira, 31,43% (33/105); Rio Grande do Norte-Atol das Rocas, 0,00% (0/486); Sergipe, 18,46% (12/65); São Paulo, 10,73 % (371/3456). Os animais afetados variaram de juvenis com comprimento curvilíneo de carapaça (CCC) mínimo de 30,0 cm, subadultos a adultos com máximo de 112 cm. A prevalência de tumores associado a fibropapilomatose aumentou com o CCC até 80,0 cm e decresceu abruptamente. A caracterização da doença foi realizada com um grupo de 202 tartarugas verdes afetadas em uma agregação no Estado do Espírito Santo. Nesse grupo, o número de tumores variou de 1 a 179 tumores em um único animal, tendo como média 21 tumores por tartaruga afetada. 72,5 % dos tumores estavam localizados na região anterior corpórea do animal, 25,2% na região posterior e 2,3% na carapaça e plastrão. Nenhuma tartaruga apresentou tumores na cavidade oral. Para análise de escore de tumor em tartarugas afetadas com FP, o escore de tumor 1 e 2 foi predominante, com 40,61% (80 de 197) e 51,27% (101 de 197) respectivamente. Apenas 8,12% (16 de 197) das tartarugas tiveram escore de tumor 3. / Fibropapilomatosis (FP) is a disease characterized by multiple masses of cutaneous tumors varying from 0,1 to more than 30 cm in diameter. It has affected primarily green turtles (Chelonia mydas), but also other species of sea turtles around the world. The aim of this study is, through the data already systematically collected by the Brazilian Sea Turtle Protection, Research and Management Program - Projeto TAMAR - IBAMA to characterize the occurrence of this disease in marine turtles along the Brazilian coast to within time and space, from 2000 to 2005. Turtles found alive or dead were identified as for the species, measured and examined as for the presence or absence of tumors. 10.170 sea turtles were examined: 1.243 of them were Hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricata), two of which showed tumors; five of the 250 loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and three of 288 olive ridley\'s turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), showed tumors; none of the 30 leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) carried tumors. Mostly of the records, (82,20%; 8.359/10170) corresponded to green turtles (Chelonia mydas), 1.288 of which had tumors. Samples of tumors were collected from 80 turtles for histopathologycal analysis; all examined samples were positive for fibropapillomatosis. The average nationwide tumor prevalence in Chelonia mydas was 15.41%; the disease was detected only in coastal areas: no occurrence was recorded for the oceanic islands of Atol das Rocas and Fernando de Noronha Archipelago. The tumor frequencies by state were: Bahia, 15,81% (211/1335); Ceará, 36,94% (181/490); Espírito Santo, 27,43% (469/1710); Pernambuco - Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, 0,00% (0/501); Rio de Janeiro, 5,96% (9/151); Rio Grande do Norte- coastal area, 31,43% (33/105); Rio Grande do Norte - Atol das Rocas, 0,00% (0/486); Sergipe, 18,46% (12/65); São Paulo, 10,73% (371/3456). The affected animals varied from juvenile, with minimum curved carapace length (CCC) 30,0 cm to sub-adults, adults with a maximum 112 cm. The prevalence of tumours associated to fibropapillomatosis increased with CCC up to 80,0 cm and then decreased abruptly. The number of tumors in 202 affected green turtles from an aggregation in the state of Espírito Santo varied from 1 to 179 tumors in a single animal, with an average of 21 tumors per affected turtle. 72,5% of tumors were located in the anterior half of the animal\'s bodies, 25,2% in the posterior area, 2,3% on the shell and plastron. No turtle had tumors in the oral cavity. A predominance of turtles was registered with tumors score 1, 40,61% (80 of 197) and score 2, 51,27% (101/197). Only 8,12% (16/197) of the turtles that had score 3. For analysis of tumor score in affected turtles with FP, the tumors score 1 and 2 was predominant, with (40,61%; 80 of 197) and (51,27%; 101/197) respectively. Only 8,12 % (16/197) of the turtles attained tumors score 3.