§ — PATHOGEN PROFILE · HSV

Herpesvirus

Herpesviridae (Testudinid herpesvirus, Emydid herpesvirus a.o.)

A lifelong latent infection, most significant in tortoises, where it causes severe stomatitis-rhinitis and recurrent outbreaks after stress. [6][7]

Method: PCR
Sample material: Oral swab
Catalogue code: HSV

The pathogen

Enveloped double-stranded DNA virus. Establishes lifelong latency in nerve tissue, with reactivation under stress, hibernation and immunosuppression.

Transmission

Direct contact between animals, particularly when species of differing susceptibility are mixed. Latent carriers shed intermittently and can appear entirely healthy for years.

Pathology

Diphtheroid necrotising stomatitis and glossitis with yellow-white plaques
Rhinitis and conjunctivitis
Necrosis of the liver and central nervous system in fulminant cases
Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in epithelial cells

Clinical signs

Grey-white plaques and pseudomembranes in the mouth
Nasal discharge, swollen eyelids, reluctance to eat
Neurological signs — head tilt, paresis; frequently fatal

Prevention

Never mix tortoise species in one enclosure
Quarantine new animals for at least 6 months and test twice
Test before hibernation and before entering a group
Positive animals kept strictly and permanently isolated — infection is lifelong

Treatment options

Aciclovir has been used off-label in tortoises with some symptomatic effect, alongside wound care, fluids and antibiotics for secondary infection. The virus is never cleared; carriers remain infectious for life.

Target species

Testudo spp. (Hermann's, spur-thighed, marginated tortoises) — highest risk
Other terrestrial and freshwater chelonians
Green iguana and other lizards
Occasionally snakes

Testing note

PCR on an oral swab is the primary screening test. A latent carrier may test negative between shedding episodes — repeat testing after a stress event increases sensitivity. [6][7]

Order this test How to take the swab

Scientific references

[6]Okoh GR, Horwood PF, Whitmore D, Ariel E (2021). Herpesviruses in Reptiles. Frontiers in veterinary science 8:642894. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.642894 · PMID: 34026888
[7]Braun J, Schrenzel M, Witte C, Gokool L, Burchell J, Rideout BA (2014). Molecular methods to detect Mycoplasma spp. And Testudinid herpesvirus 2 in desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) and implications for disease management. Journal of wildlife diseases 50:757-66. DOI: 10.7589/2013-09-231 · PMID: 25121400

PCR detection depends on specimen quality, sampling time, intermittent shedding and the analytical method. A negative PCR result applies only to the submitted sample.

Other investigations

References

[6]Okoh GR, Horwood PF, Whitmore D, Ariel E (2021). Herpesviruses in Reptiles. Frontiers in veterinary science 8:642894. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.642894 · PMID: 34026888
[7]Braun J, Schrenzel M, Witte C, Gokool L, Burchell J, Rideout BA (2014). Molecular methods to detect Mycoplasma spp. And Testudinid herpesvirus 2 in desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) and implications for disease management. Journal of wildlife diseases 50:757-66. DOI: 10.7589/2013-09-231 · PMID: 25121400

Order a kit
Prepared for your animal and typically delivered within 7 days
Send the samples
Take the sample and send it directly to the laboratory
Receive the test result
Typically within 7 days after the laboratory receives the sample

This profile is reference information for keepers and breeders. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace veterinary advice. Medicines mentioned are prescription-only and must be used under veterinary supervision.