Paul A. Klein, Ph.D.
Professor

Current Research Interests:

Immunology, virology, microbial pathogenesis and host defense mechanisms in lower vertebrates. Serodiagnosis and seroepidemiology of infectious diseases of wildlife.

Dept. of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine University of Florida College of Medicine P.O. Box 100275 Gainesville, FL 32610-0275 Office Location and Express Mail address: Dept. of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine University of Florida College of Medicine Basic Science Building B3-45 Office: (352) 392-2608 Fax: (352) 846-2781 Senior Secretary: Lee Stutevoss (352) 392-2609 Email: paklein@ufl.edu

Our group participates in the University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Initiative and the Marine Mammal Program to provide new understanding and tools needed to prevent wildlife diseases and their associated pathogens from impacting our ecosystems, the health of Floridians, and the State's economy.

Our research has focused on major epizootics affecting several endangered and threatened chelonian species (sea turtles and tortoises). We have identified a new species of pathogenic mycoplasma and shown it to be responsible for epizootics of chronic upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) in threatened gopher tortoises. Without the gopher tortoise, the biological diversity of upland Florida habitats would be severely diminished since as many as 360 animal species depend on the gopher tortoise for survival. We are interested in learning more about how natural factors combine with human-induced ones, such as relocation and fire exclusion, and how those relationships interact with biological and microbial factors to determine the incidence, virulence, and spread of disease. Second, we are investigating herpesviruses that are associated with several diseases of marine turtles including lung-eye-trachea disease (LETD) and fibropapillomatosis (FP), a tumor epizootic threatening the survival of sea turtles worldwide. We have shown by transmission studies that FP is caused by a virus and our current focus is on the etiological role of a unique herpesvirus that we have identified in this disease. We have provided new evidence that endangered wild Florida green turtle populations are being exposed to LETV, the LETD-associated herpesvirus, and that LETV and the FP-associated herpesvirus (FPHV) are separate infections of marine turtles.

    Related Links:

• The Turtle Hospital
• Emerging Pathogens Initiative

Curriculum Vitae (click to download MS-Word document)
Publications (click to download MS-Word document)