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Vacuolar myelinopathy (VM) is a neurologic disease primarily found in birds that occurs when wildlife ingest submerged aquatic vegetation colonized by an uncharacterized toxin-producing cyanobacterium (hereafter “UCB” for “uncharacterized cyanobacterium”). Turtles are among the closest extant relatives of birds and many species directly and/or indirectly consume aquatic vegetation. However, it is unknown whether turtles can develop VM. We conducted a feeding trial to determine whether painted turtles ( Chrysemys picta ) would develop VM after feeding on  Hydrilla  ( Hydrilla verticillata ), colonized by the UCB ( Hydrilla  is the most common “host” of UCB). We hypothesized turtles fed  Hydrilla  colonized by the UCB would exhibit neurologic impairment and vacuolation of nervous tissues, whereas turtles fed  Hydrilla  free of the UCB would not. The ability of  Hydrilla  colonized by the UCB to cause VM (hereafter, “toxicity”) was verified by feeding it to domestic chickens ( Gallus gallus domesticus ) or necropsy of field collected American coots ( Fulica americana ) captured at the site of  Hydrilla  collections. We randomly assigned ten wild-caught turtles into toxic or non-toxic  Hydrilla  feeding groups and delivered the diets for up to 97 days. Between days 82 and 89, all turtles fed toxic  Hydrilla  displayed physical and/or neurologic impairment. Histologic examination of the brain and spinal cord revealed vacuolations in all treatment turtles. None of the control turtles exhibited neurologic impairment or had detectable brain or spinal cord vacuolations. This is the first evidence that freshwater turtles can become neurologically impaired and develop vacuolations after consuming toxic  Hydrilla  colonized with the UCB. The southeastern United States, where outbreaks of VM occur regularly and where vegetation colonized by the UCB is common, is also a global hotspot of freshwater turtle diversity. Our results suggest that further investigations into the effect of the putative UCB toxin on wild turtles  in situ  are warranted.

plos one

Experimental Feeding of Hydrilla verticillata Colonized by Stigonematales Cyanobacteria Induces Vacuolar Myelinopathy in Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta)