§ — PATHOGEN PROFILE · RARV

Reptarenavirus

Reptarenavirus / Hartmanivirus, fam. Arenaviridae

The confirmed cause of Boid Inclusion Body Disease (IBD), a slow, fatal disease of boas and pythons. [10][11]

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

The pathogen

Enveloped segmented RNA virus of the Arenaviridae. Multiple genotypes typically co-infect the same animal.

Transmission

Direct contact, and probably vertically and via snake mites (Ophionyssus natricis). Boas may carry and shed the virus for years while appearing healthy.

Pathology

Eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in many tissues, diagnostic on histology
Non-suppurative meningoencephalitis
Lymphoproliferative disease and secondary infections from immune suppression
Chronic pneumonia in pythons

Clinical signs

Regurgitation, chronic weight loss
Star-gazing, loss of righting reflex, disorientation
Stomatitis and recurrent respiratory infections

Prevention

Test every boid before entry to a collection and after any mite infestation
Eradicate snake mites aggressively
House boas and pythons separately; never share tools between them
Do not breed positive animals — remove them from the breeding programme

Treatment options

None. The disease is progressive and fatal; euthanasia is often the humane outcome in clinically affected animals. Management focuses on preventing spread within the collection.

Target species

Boa constrictor — often long-term carriers with few signs
Pythonidae — usually rapid neurological disease
Other boids and, occasionally, colubrids

Testing note

PCR on an oral swab detects viral RNA. Because carriers shed intermittently, a single negative in a boa is not proof of freedom — repeat testing during a long quarantine. [10][11]

Order this test How to take the swab

Scientific references

[10]Simard J, Marschang RE, Leineweber C, Hellebuyck T (2020). Prevalence of inclusion body disease and associated comorbidity in captive collections of boid and pythonid snakes in Belgium. PloS one 15:e0229667. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229667 · PMID: 32119716
[11]Alfaro-Alarcón A, Hetzel U, Smura T, Baggio F, Morales JA, Kipar A, et al. (2022). Boid Inclusion Body Disease Is Also a Disease of Wild Boa Constrictors. Microbiology spectrum 10:e0170522. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01705-22 · PMID: 36094085

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

[10]Simard J, Marschang RE, Leineweber C, Hellebuyck T (2020). Prevalence of inclusion body disease and associated comorbidity in captive collections of boid and pythonid snakes in Belgium. PloS one 15:e0229667. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229667 · PMID: 32119716
[11]Alfaro-Alarcón A, Hetzel U, Smura T, Baggio F, Morales JA, Kipar A, et al. (2022). Boid Inclusion Body Disease Is Also a Disease of Wild Boa Constrictors. Microbiology spectrum 10:e0170522. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01705-22 · PMID: 36094085

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.