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Turtle study provides insights into tumour diseases
Scientists have successfully reconstructed the skin of endangered green turtles to grow a virus called chelonid herpesvirus 5.

Scientists engineer turtle skin to grow tumour-associated virus

Scientists are a step closer to fighting viral diseases that threaten endangered animals and humans, thanks to a new study led by US Geological Survey.

In a collaborative project, scientists reconstructed the skin of endangered green turtles, marking the first time this has ever been achieved in a non-mammal. In turn, this helped them to grow a tumour-associated virus to better understand certain human diseases.

In the study, scientists successfully reconstructed the skin of endangered green turtles to grow a virus called chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5). ChHV5 is linked to fibropapillomatosis (FP), a devastating tumour disease that can harm turtles’ immune systems, leading to secondary infections, emaciation and death.

“Fibropapillomatosis is the most common infectious disease affecting endangered green turtles,” explained Thierry Work, a USGS scientist and the lead author of the study. “Our findings provide a significant advancement in studying FP, and may eventually help scientists better understand other herpes virus-induced tumour diseases, including those of humans.”

Writing in the Journal of Virology, researchers describe how they used cells from tumours and normal skin from turtles to reconstruct the complex structure of turtle skin. Growing the virus gave scientists the opportunity to observe the virus replication in unprecedented detail.

While the existence of ChHV5 has been known for more than 20 years, the inability to grow the virus in the laboratory has hampered efforts to understand ChHV5.

“Examining viruses within the complex three-dimensional structure of engineered skin is exciting, because virus replication in such a system is likely much closer to reality than traditional laboratory techniques,” Work said. “This method could be a powerful tool for answering broader questions about virus-induced tumours in reptiles and herpes virus replication in general.”

The USGS study involved researchers from the University of Hawaii, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Zurich.

Image (C) Brocken Inaglory

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here

Click here for more...
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NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.