Detection of nidoviruses in samples collected from captive snakes in Europe between 2016 and 2021.

BACKGROUND: Nidoviruses are increasingly detected in various snake species worldwide, but much remains to be learned about their distribution and the factors influencing their epidemiology. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated the results of routine nidovirus testing, by PCR, of 5210 swab samples from pet snakes from various European countries that were submitted to a commercial veterinary laboratory in Germany between 2016 and 2021. RESULTS: The overall detection rate was 19.96%. However, the detection rate varied significantly depending on the snake species (p < 0.0001), with the highest rate in Indian pythons (Python molurus) (42.24%). Rates also varied depending on the season of sample collection (p < 0.0001), with the highest rate in winter (24.46%), and the country of sample origin (p < 0.0001), with the highest rate in Austria (36.69%). The detection rate also decreased significantly (p = 0.0003) over the 6-year observation period, from 26.43% to 17.64%. LIMITATION: No information on clinical signs was available for most of the sampled snakes. CONCLUSION: The present study supplies new information on the distribution of python nidoviruses (subgenus Roypretovirus) in pet snakes in Europe and indicates a dynamic situation with possible changes in prevalence over time.