Last night I was made aware of a brand new paper published September 9th, 2014 regarding a newly sequenced virus linked to respiratory infection in ball pythons, labeled Ball Python Nidovirus (BPNV). This was an ongoing study using samples taken from 7 collections around the U.S. from 2006 to 2013.
http://mbio.asm.org/content/5/5/e01484-14.full
My former reptile DVM, Dr. Marc Gordon, is one of the contributors, as is Dr. Elliot Jacobson. Dr. Gordon was the one that handled the viral epidemic in my original collection in 2007-2008. In the paper's description regarding the snakes used in the study, it specifically mentions 3 from a private collection in Wisconsin. All of the details fit the work Dr. Gordon did on my case and the observations we made, including the 2 living sick snakes we chose to euthanize in order to get fresh tissue samples from:
"Three ball pythons (5, 6, and 7) from a private collection in Wisconsin were submitted to a veterinarian due to signs of respiratory disease. Ball python 5 was found dead and submitted for necropsy. The following tissues were collected, fixed in NBF, and processed for light microscopy: lungs, kidney, liver, stomach, spleen, and ovary with oviduct. Ball pythons 6 and 7 had acute onset of respiratory signs over a 2- to 3-day period characterized by an increase in respiratory rate and effort. There also was elevation of the cranial third of the snake’s body (from the ground), ultimately resulting in opisthotonos (stargazing). A decision was made to euthanatize and necropsy BP6 and -7."
Thus I'm 99% certain that my case was used in this study. If true, this then changes the theory that my original collection was destroyed by Paramyxovirus (up until this point, thought to be potentially the Sunshine Virus), and was instead infected with Ball Python Nidovirus. I will be looking into this more and hoping to get confirmation.
There are two sections of this paper that I feel should be noted. The first is regarding today's methods of herpetoculture creating a breeding ground for viruses like BPNV:
"Current standards in herpetoculture encourage disease transmission and may foster evolution of increased pathogen virulence. Captive snake breeding operations typically operate at high stocking densities, and breeders commonly attend trade shows, where animals from different sources are juxtaposed. In addition, animals from geographically and ecologically diverse areas are commonly imported and mixed with minimal quarantine. These practices increase pathogen exposure and lower barriers to transmission."
The second is regarding the statement I have always stood by in that some larger breeders knowingly have contagious respiratory infections in their collections yet continue breeding/selling:
"Ball python 11 was a 6-year-old adult from a private collection in Pennsylvania. The owner had about 74 snakes in total, all of which were ball pythons. Seven snakes in close proximity to one another from his collection became sequentially ill with clinical signs of respiratory disease, including dyspnea and open-mouth breathing, All ill snakes were immediately quarantined in a separate room from the general population. Of the 7 snakes that became ill, 6 died within a few days of first manifesting signs of respiratory disease. One of the dead snakes was submitted to a private practitioner for necropsy."
"The second case (BP10) was a 5-year-old female common BP from a large collection (500-plus) of ball pythons in Oklahoma. Prior to 2009, no significant health issues were recognized in this collection. Starting in 2009 several ball pythons showed signs of respiratory disease, and from 2010 to early 2011, three ball pythons died with clinical signs of respiratory disease. Ball python 10 had signs of respiratory disease and was euthanized for pathological evaluation."
Thus why I stress the importance of STRICT QUARANTINE, regardless of who you purchase from -- big or small, new keeper or veteran.
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