Fatal Pneumonia Caused by Beauveria bassiana in a Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii, Garman, 1880) on the Portuguese Coast: Case Report and Review of Beauveria spp. Infections in Reptiles
The Kemp's ridley sea turtle (<i>Lepidochelys kempii</i>) is the most critically endangered sea turtle species, with a distribution primarily restricted to the Gulf of Mexico. Its occurrence along the Iberian Peninsula is exceedingly rare. This study describes the postmortem findings of a juvenile <i>L. kempii</i> rescued off the Portuguese coast in 2024, which died after 11 days in rehabilitation despite intensive supportive care. Necropsy revealed severe, diffuse pneumonia. Histopathological examination showed interstitial inflammation and branching septate hyphae, while fungal culture and DNA sequencing confirmed the presence of <i>Beauveria bassiana</i>. Mycotic diseases in reptiles are often underrecognised but can lead to significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in immunocompromised or stressed individuals such as stranded marine turtles. This rare occurrence of a <i>L. kempii</i> on the Portuguese coast provides important insights into the species' dispersal patterns and underlines the potential conservation implications of opportunistic fungal infections in endangered species.
Authors
- Nuno Urbani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5363-0629)
- Ana Cláudia Coelho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7196-4179)
- Leonor Delgado (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4405-0240)
- Maria C. Peleteiro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1848-558X)
- João R. Mesquita (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8769-8103)
- Gonçalo N. Marques (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1179-251X)
- Fábio A. Abade dos Santos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0696-7322)
- Yodiney dos Santos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6158-8667)
- João Neves (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9404-0745)
- Miriam Leal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7856-5606)
- Miguel L. Lourenço (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5028-1205)
- Ricardo Lopes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9339-9932)
- Antonieta Nunes
- Andreia Garcês (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7940-3141)
- Isabel Gaspar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5025-7566)
- Virgínia Lopes
- Jaqueline T. Bento (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1324-8902)
- Ana Paula Castro
- Rita Barny
- Joana S. Guerra
Institutions
- University of Lisbon (PT)
- University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (PT)
- Universidade do Porto (PT)
- Portuguese Air Force Academy (PT)
- Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário (PT)
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (PT)
- Instituto Português de Malacologia (PT)
- Hospital de Santo António (PT)
- Escola Secundária Quinta do Marquês (PT)
- Universidade Lusófona (PT)
- University of Minho (PT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Microorganisms
- Published
- 2025-09-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13092092
- Primary Topic
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00