Varela, Rene A.

Green Turtle Fibropapillomatosis has been a disease of intense investigation, with little ascertained as to its cause. This investigation thus delved into the possible link between this disease and immune compromise. This was achieved by creating three groups of animals, one characterized as healthy another as diseased, and a third as recovered. Blood taken from each animal was then applied to the four aspects of our investigation: general chemistry, hematology, specialized chemistry, and in vitro cell proliferation to establish the best diagnostic cues. General chemistry, hematology, and specialized chemistry proved to be inconsequential in elucidating the effects of possible immune compromise. In vitro cell proliferation, though, proved conclusively that t and b like cells were severely depressed in diseased and "recovered" animals, giving conclusive evidence of immune dysfunction in association with fibropapillomatosis.