Nidovirus (Serpentovirus) Information
One of the most common health ailments to affect captive boa and python species is respiratory disease. What can start as periodic open-mouthed breathing can escalate into proliferative pneumonia, causing increased respiratory effort, mucus production, oral secretions, anorexia, and death. While the causative etiology of snake respiratory condition can be multifactorial, positive-sense RNA viruses in the order Nidovirales, termed serpentoviruses or ophidian nidoviruses, have been associated with snake respiratory disease. In captivity documented prevalence across python species range from 28.2% (n=1554) to 29.2% (n=271), with only a subset of animals displaying clinical signs of infection. In wild populations of Burmese pythons in southern Florida serpentoviruses have been found circulating at a similar prevalence without clinical disease. Although there is not necessarily a direct relationship between viral infection and respiratory disease, serpentoviruses appear to be a major contributing factor, likely along with host species, animal stress, husbandry, and opportunistic fungus and bacteria in the development of respiratory disease.
Serpentovirus species have been found in captive boas, captive and wild pythons, captive and wild colubrids, captive and wild skinks, wild turtles, and captive vipers. Our understanding of these viruses is ongoing, so this page is meant as a central repository for serpentovirus research, including my own original published research as part of my Ph.D. dissertation on these viruses.
Serpentovirus species have been found in captive boas, captive and wild pythons, captive and wild colubrids, captive and wild skinks, wild turtles, and captive vipers. Our understanding of these viruses is ongoing, so this page is meant as a central repository for serpentovirus research, including my own original published research as part of my Ph.D. dissertation on these viruses.