First case of soft shell disease in Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Trionyx sinens) associated with Aeromonas sobria-A. veronii complex

Outbreaks of an epizootic in Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Trionyx sinensis) in Zhejiang province, China in 2012, caused severe economic losses to turtle culture industry. This disease was characterized by “soft dorsal shell” and “rugose abdominal shell” accompanied by significantly slower growth rate. Six bacterial isolates were collected from livers and kidneys of diseased turtles, and identified as Aeromonas sobria-Aeromonas veronii complex based on morphological and biochemical characteristics and phylogenetic analysis derived from 16S rRNA and six housekeeping genes. These isolates demonstrated pathogenic potential to juvenile Chinese soft-shelled turtles. To our knowledge, this is the first report of large-scale soft shell disease in Chinese soft-shelled turtles.