Isolation and molecular characterization of Fusarium species (Fungi, Ascomycota) from unhatched eggs of Caretta caretta in Tuscany (Italy) Samuele Risoli University of Pisa, Italy Sabrina Sarrocco University of Pisa, Italy Giuliana Terracciano Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale, Italy Riccardo Baroncelli University of Bologna, Italy Marco Alberto Luca Zuffi University of Pisa, Italy Cecilia Mancusi ARPAT, Italy Cristina Nali University of Pisa, Italy This is a section of Ninth International Symposium “Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas: Problems and Measurement Techniques”(DOI: 10.36253/979-12-215-0030-1) by Laura Bonora, Donatella Carboni, Matteo De Vincenzi, Giorgio Matteucci Firenze University Press Firenze 2022 https://doi.org/10.36253/979-12-215-0030-1.71

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Caretta caretta is the only sea turtle species nesting along the Tuscan coastline, where nests are becoming more numerous and widespread, as well as the number of Sea Turtle Egg Fusariosis (STEF)-affected eggs. In this work, we analyzed eggs from natural nests of C. caretta that showed visual symptoms of STEF from Tuscan nests, with the aim to (i) isolate Fusarium spp. strains present in unhatched eggs, (ii) morphologically and molecularly characterize the isolated fungi and, finally, (iii) reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships between our isolates and those already known.

 Emerging infectious diseases Sea Turtle Egg Fusariosis Fusarium Solani Species Complex Fusarium Caretta caretta

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