title: Prevalence of viral infections in captive collections of boid snakes in Germany.
abstract: Data on viral infections in apparently healthy snake collections in Germany were obtained with respect to husbandry conditions and health status. Samples from 100 boid snakes (from 14 collections) were examined microbiologically and for the presence of paramyxoviruses (PMVs) using RT-PCR. Blood was tested for the presence of antibodies against PMV, adenovirus and reovirus and for inclusion bodies indicative of inclusion body disease. Nine snakes tested positive for PMV, and inclusion bodies were detected in six snakes. Antibodies against PMV were found in one snake, and two snakes had antibodies against an adenovirus. A significant correlation was found between the origin of the snake and the presence of PMV, and between the presence of remarkable microbiological findings and husbandry conditions.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Birds and Reptiles, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 17, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. pees@vogelklinik.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pees
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Marschang
authors.forename: K O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Heckers
authors.forename: M-E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Krautwald-Junghanns
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000821:virology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D017821:Boidae / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D007181:Inclusion Bodies, Viral / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D010252:Paramyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015995:Prevalence; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral