Incident - Bellinger River snapping turtle disease (virus) - 2015

A severe mortality event involving wild Bellinger River snapping turtles (Myuchelys georgesi) was investigated after dead and dying turtles were reported in February 2015. Over 430 turtles are estimated to have been affected in the Bellinger River system, with clinical signs including swollen eyes, blindness, emaciation, clear nasal discharge and hind limb paresis, and a very high case fatality rate. Diagnostic investigation was conducted by multiple agencies and organisations. A wide range of potential infectious aetiologies were excluded by laboratory testing and no evidence of pesticides was found in river water samples.

A novel nidovirus was identified as the likely cause of these mortalities (Zhang et al 2018). Myuchelys georgesi is a freshwater turtle species found only in small sections of the Bellinger and Kalang rivers and total numbers are estimated to be extremely low. A small number of healthy M. georgesi were removed from the river for a captive breeding program, and have remained healthy.

[This is a summary of the report in Animal Health Surveillance Quarterly, Volume 20, Issue 3]

Related links:

• NSW Department of Primary Industries – Bellinger River Snapping Turtle Response 
• Bellingen Shire Council – Bello Bio Blog 5: Bellinger River Snapping Turtle
• Zhang J et al (2018) Identification of a novel nidovirus as a potential cause of large-scale mortalities in the endangered Bellinger River snapping turtle (Myuchelys georgesi). PLoS ONE 13(10): e0205209.
• Spencer RJ et al (2018) Profiling a possible rapid extinction event in a long-lived species. Biological Conservation, 221, 190-197.
• Chessman BC et al (2020) On a razor's edge: Status and prospects of the critically endangered Bellinger River snapping turtle, Myuchelys georgesi. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 30(3), 586-600.
• Flies AS, Flies EJ et al. (2023) Wildlife nidoviruses: biology, epidemiology, and disease associations of selected nidoviruses of mammals and reptiles. Mbio: e00715-23.
• Parrish K, Kirkland PD et al. (2021) Nidoviruses in reptiles: a review. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8: 733404
• Bellinger River Snapping Turtle Status Review, Disease Risk Analysis and Conservation Plan