Elizabeth Labastida Estrada – Mexico (2023)

© Elizabeth Labastida Estrada

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a disease that causes external and internal tumors on sea turtles that can limit vital functions such as feeding, swimming, or breathing. Molecular studies have evaluated whether there are differences in DNA viral sequences between species or populations to understand how the disease affects species or varies between regions.

As part of this line of study, Elizabeth Labastida Estrada is evaluating the viral DNA sequences in Kemp’s ridley turtles affected by FP in their distribution in Tamaulipas and Veracruz, Mexico. These results will provide the first viral sequences of ChHV5 obtained from Kemp’s ridley turtles in Mexico, enabling comparison with other genetic data from other species or regions to determine if the genetic variability of ChHV5 is a factor that promotes its pathogenicity among different species.