Fatal Photobacterium damselae-induced enteritis in a leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea

© Inter-Research 2019. Stranded leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea complete pathology reports are rare, and the cause of mortality is difficult to determine in many cases. We conducted a complete pathological study of a stranded leatherback turtle from the western Mediterranean. The main finding was a fibrino-necrotizing enteritis with associated bacteria which were identified as Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae according to biochemical and phenotypical charac - teristics. This report provides evidence of the pathogenic effect of this bacterium in wild sea turtles.