§ — PATHOGEN PROFILE · PICO

Picornavirus (Virus X)

Picornaviridae ('Virus X', Testudinid picornavirus)

Also known as Virus X — associated with soft shell and bone metabolism disorder in tortoises. [18][19]

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

The pathogen

Small non-enveloped positive-sense RNA virus. Stable in the environment and resistant to alcohol.

Transmission

Faecal-oral and direct contact, especially in densely stocked or mixed-origin tortoise groups.

Pathology

Soft, deformed shell despite adequate calcium and UV provision
Nephropathy and visceral gout
Ascites and liver degeneration
Rhinitis and conjunctivitis in some animals

Clinical signs

Soft plastron and carapace in animals with correct husbandry
Swollen eyelids, nasal discharge
Anorexia, apathy, deaths after hibernation

Prevention

Test before adding tortoises to an established group
Do not mix animals of different origin within one enclosure
Screen before hibernation, when disease often becomes apparent

Treatment options

No specific antiviral. Support with fluids, correct diet, UVB and calcium, and treat renal disease under veterinary supervision. Prognosis in advanced shell and kidney disease is poor.

Target species

Testudo hermanni, T. graeca, T. marginata
Other terrestrial tortoises
Occasionally lizards

Testing note

PCR on an oral swab. Include this test whenever a tortoise shows shell softening that husbandry correction has not resolved. [18][19]

Order this test How to take the swab

Scientific references

[18]Paries S, Funcke S, Kershaw O, Failing K, Lierz M (2019). The role of Virus "X" (Tortoise Picornavirus) in kidney disease and shell weakness syndrome in European tortoise species determined by experimental infection. PloS one 14:e0210790. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210790 · PMID: 30779796
[19]Marschang RE, Ihász K, Kugler R, Lengyel G, Fehér E, Marton S, et al. (2016). Development of a consensus reverse transcription PCR assay for the specific detection of tortoise picornaviruses. Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc 28:309-14. DOI: 10.1177/1040638716628584 · PMID: 27034342

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

[18]Paries S, Funcke S, Kershaw O, Failing K, Lierz M (2019). The role of Virus "X" (Tortoise Picornavirus) in kidney disease and shell weakness syndrome in European tortoise species determined by experimental infection. PloS one 14:e0210790. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210790 · PMID: 30779796
[19]Marschang RE, Ihász K, Kugler R, Lengyel G, Fehér E, Marton S, et al. (2016). Development of a consensus reverse transcription PCR assay for the specific detection of tortoise picornaviruses. Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc 28:309-14. DOI: 10.1177/1040638716628584 · PMID: 27034342

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.