Ball Python Nidovirus: a Candidate Etiologic Agent for Severe Respiratory Disease in Python regius

Stenglein, Mark D.; Jacobson, Elliott R.; Wozniak, Edward J.; Wellehan, James F. X.; Kincaid, Anne; Gordon, Marcus; Porter, Brian F.; Baumgartner, Wes; Stahl, Scott; Kelley, Karen; Towner, Jonathan S.; DeRisi, Joseph L.

(i) Collection 1. Two snakes from a private collection in Texas (BP1 and -2) were submitted in 2007 for pathological evaluations. The owners reported that affected snakes exhibited acute signs of respiratory disease characterized by audible wheezing along with a clear mucoid nasal discharge, notable "cough-like" forced expiration, and excessive amounts of foamy mucus in the oral cavity. BP1 was euthanatized and immediately necropsied. BP2 was found dead and was refrigerated for 2 days prior to necropsy. Lung was collected from both snakes, and portions were frozen or placed in neutral buffered 10% formalin (NBF) and processed for light microscopy. Lung was sectioned at 6 m and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). A portion of lung of BP1 that was fixed in NBF was cut into 1-mm cubes and transferred to 4% paraformaldehyde-2.5% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M sodium cacodylate buffer, pH 7.24, and processed for TEM (see below). Molecular diagnostics were performed on frozen tissues from two snakes (snakes 3 and 4) from a second collection in Texas (collection 2), but they were negative and are not discussed further in this report.