The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is researching a virus present in Florida known to be fatal in freshwater turtles, called turtle fraservirus 1.
To aid in that effort, the FWC recently launched a new way to report sick, abnormal or dead turtles through a reporting form online at MyFWC.com/TFV1
The FWC has been studying TFV1, formerly known as turtle bunyavirus, since early 2018.
There is no current evidence to suggest that humans or wildlife other than turtles can be infected with TFV1.
The virus has not been seen in Northwest Florida, but has been confirmed in 10 south and central Florida Counties and could be present in additional counties throughout the state.
TFV1 has been detected in softshells, cooters, sliders and snapping turtles.
Reports of sick or dead turtles from the public can help the FWC detect TFV1 in other counties more quickly and understand if it infects other species of turtles.
A turtle could be infected with TFV1 if it appears sluggish, unresponsive or reluctant to flee or if it stays in shallow water or beached on banks for prolonged periods of time.
Other signs include the turtle’s head and neck outstretched flat along the ground, sunken, swollen crusty or cloudy eyes or if it has reddened skin on its head, neck, limbs or bottom of shell.
Through the new report form, the public can help the FWC by answering a few simple questions, providing location information and uploading any photographs that help document instances of sick or dead turtles.
Again, the on-line reporting site is MyFWC.com/TFV1
To aid in that effort, the FWC recently launched a new way to report sick, abnormal or dead turtles through a reporting form online at MyFWC.com/TFV1
The FWC has been studying TFV1, formerly known as turtle bunyavirus, since early 2018.
There is no current evidence to suggest that humans or wildlife other than turtles can be infected with TFV1.
The virus has not been seen in Northwest Florida, but has been confirmed in 10 south and central Florida Counties and could be present in additional counties throughout the state.
TFV1 has been detected in softshells, cooters, sliders and snapping turtles.
Reports of sick or dead turtles from the public can help the FWC detect TFV1 in other counties more quickly and understand if it infects other species of turtles.
A turtle could be infected with TFV1 if it appears sluggish, unresponsive or reluctant to flee or if it stays in shallow water or beached on banks for prolonged periods of time.
Other signs include the turtle’s head and neck outstretched flat along the ground, sunken, swollen crusty or cloudy eyes or if it has reddened skin on its head, neck, limbs or bottom of shell.
Through the new report form, the public can help the FWC by answering a few simple questions, providing location information and uploading any photographs that help document instances of sick or dead turtles.
Again, the on-line reporting site is MyFWC.com/TFV1
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