Reptarenavirus ("Inclusion Body Disease" or IBD) in snakes

Test code: S0258 - Ultrasensitive qualitative detection of reptarenavirus ("Inclusion Body Disease" or IBD) by reverse transcription real time PCR.

Reptarenavirus belongs to family arenaviridae and contains bisegmented negative-sense RNAs using ambisense coding strategy for protein expression. There are two RNA segments, with the S segment encoding the glycoprotein precursor (GPC) and nucleoprotein (NP), and the L segment encoding the zinc finger matrix protein (ZP) and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp).

Boid inclusion body disease (BIBD) was first detected in captive constrictor snakes in the 1970s; and reptarenavirus was confirmed to be the causative agent in the 2010s. BIBD has now been detected in boas and pythons living in the wild as well.

Snakes infected with this virus have eosinophilic and electron-dense inclusion bodies within almost all cell types. Infected snakes can develop neurological symptoms, such as opisthotonus (“stargazing”), head tremors, disorientation, regurgitation, and “corkscrewing”. However, not all infected snakes show symptoms. Asymptomatic infected snakes are hard to diagnose and can spread the virus. Infected snakes are also subject to secondary bacterial infections.

The transmission route is not yet certain. It is suspected that the virus can be spread via contact with body fluids from infected snakes which occur through mating, or sharing of contaminated cages and water bowls. Mites are also suspected in the transmission of this virus. A recent study has shown that experimental inoculation of the virus through the trachea is the most effective way of infecting snakes.

There are no good diagnostic tests for this virus except by molecular detection by PCR (Thiele, T. et al. 2023). PCR is a specific and sensitive method for confirming the presence of the virus.

Utilities:

• Help confirm the disease causing agent
• Shorten the time required to confirm a clinical diagnosis of IBD infection.
• Help ensure that snake populations and facilities are free of IBD
• Early prevention of spread of this virus
• Minimize human exposure to this virus

Reference:
Thiele, T., Baggio, F., Prähauser, B., Ruiz Subira, A., Michalopoulou, E., Kipar, A., Hetzel, U. and Hepojoki, J. (2023) Reptarenavirus S Segment RNA Levels Correlate with the Presence of Inclusion Bodies and the Number of L Segments in Snakes with Reptarenavirus Infection-Lessons Learned from a Large Breeding Colony. Microbiol. Spectr. 11(3):e0506522.

Specimen requirements: 0.2 ml EDTA whole blood, or oral swab, or 0.2 ml fresh or frozen tissue.

Contact Zoologix if advice is needed to determine an appropriate specimen type for a specific diagnostic application. For specimen types not listed here, please contact Zoologix to confirm specimen acceptability and shipping instructions.

For all specimen types, if there will be a delay in shipping, or during very warm weather, refrigerate specimens until shipped and ship with a cold pack unless more stringent shipping requirements are specified. Frozen specimens should be shipped so as to remain frozen in transit. See shipping instructions for more information

Turnaround time: 2 business days

Methodology: Qualitative reverse transcription real time PCR

Normal range: Nondetected