3292. INTERN. A 28-year-old red-eared slider has "bloodworms" and a white tongue

Thur  Sep 12, 2019 report

A rare case of midge larvae (blood worms) was present in a 28-year-old female red-eared slider.

The slider also had a snow-white tongue which indicated a severe anaemia and swollen limbs. She had not been eating for the past 1-2 months and is very lethargic.

Several midge larvae and pupae were extracted from inside the skin folds of the slider, under the collar and on the limb folds. Those worms that were seen as bright red are called "blood worms".

They are able to survive in the soil and debris inside the fresh water of reservoirs and lakes. They are sold as bait for ornamental fish trade. They are not the usual worms in that they have hairs and are larvae of midge.


The owner phoned me as she did internet research which showed "blood worms" being common in turtles. She  asked if this slider who was fed vegetables only for the past 20 years could be infested with "blood worms" The worms seen in this turtle are likely midge fly larvae. The newly hatched larvae has blood (red blood cells) inside their transparent cylindrical bodies and hence are described as "blood worms." They are classified as insects and not as blood worms.

The slider had swollen neck folds and skin folds between the hind legs. These are signs of odema relating to retention of fluid under the skin. Causes may be heart, liver or kidney diseases. The severe anaemia resulted in a snow-white tongue which is softer than normal.

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Larvae of midges in the tank of this slider

TONGUE COLOUR - WHITE. SEVERE ANAEMIA

Normal tongue is pink in colour

CONCLUSION
A rare case of a red-eared slider infested by midge larve (video and image).
The slider was housed in a tank in a balcony and so was exposed to the midges for the past years. These midges are adult flies and are present in large numbers in areas where there are lakes and reservoirs.

These midges are a nuisance to residents living nearby. They are non-biting as adults unlike mosquitoes. The larvae flourish in the waters of the tank and suck blood from the body of this slider for many months or years. The slider became anaemic as shown by the whiteness of the tongue. A normal tongue should be pink in colour.



See Reference:
 https://www.pub.gov.sg/Documents/Midge%20webpage%20guide%20PDF.pdf







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VIDEOS x 3 below.
to be edited. Show combined footages of the "blood worms" in the tank and on the body of the slider.
Most likely, the heavy infestations of these midge larval sucking blood from the slider over the past months resulted in a severe loss of blood. Hence the tongue is snow-white in colour. The slider is very ill now as she has swollen limb, neck and collar folds suggestive of heart, liver or kidney failure.

  

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