Genetic Analysis of Chelonid Herpesvirus 5 in Marine Turtles from Baja California Peninsula.

The Chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) is the primary etiological agent associated with fibropapillomatosis (FP), a neoplastic disease in marine turtles. In this study, we report for the first time ChHV5 in marine turtles and a leech from Baja California Peninsula. Eighty-seven black, olive or loggerhead turtle species, one FP tumor and five leeches were analyzed. The tumor sample from an olive, a skin sample from a black and a leech resulted positive of ChHV5 for conventional PCR. Two viral variants were identified and grouped within the Eastern Pacific phylogenetic group, suggesting a possible flow of the virus in this region.