Faulhaber Marline M, Tardy Florence, Gautier-Bouchardon Anne V, Öfner Sabine, Theuns Sebastiaan, Coppens Sieglinde, Müller Elisabeth, Pees Michael, Marschang Rachel E
LABOKLIN GmbH & Co.KG, Labor für klinische Diagnostik, Steubenstraße 4, D-97688 Bad Kissingen, Germany.
Anses, Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory, Mycoplasmology, Bacteriology and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, F-22440 Ploufragan, France.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Jul 25;15(15):2187. doi: 10.3390/ani15152187.
Mycoplasmas are known respiratory pathogens in tortoises, but few studies exist in snakes. To better understand the correlation with clinical signs and co-infections, samples from mycoplasma-positive snakes with and without clinical respiratory disease were analyzed. Oral swabs from 15 snakes (pythons = 12, boas = 3) were examined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and third-generation sequencing (TGS). Additionally, mycoplasma isolation assays were performed. Pathogens detected by PCR included Mycoplasmas (15/15, 100%), serpentoviruses (9/15, 60%), and sp. (2/15, 13%); those detected by TGS included Mycoplasmas (14/15, 93%), serpentoviruses (10/15, 67%), sp. (1/15, 7%), and 15 different bacterial species. Sequencing of the mycoplasma PCR products revealed a close genetic relationship to . TGS identified genetically distinct mycoplasmas and three different serpentoviruses. While mycoplasmas could not be successfully propagated, comb. nov. was identified in eight cultures. Respiratory disease in snakes is often multifactorial, involving various pathogens and environmental influences. This study demonstrates that comprehensive diagnostics are essential for understanding disease processes in snakes and improving the detection of diverse pathogens. Further research is needed to improve laboratory diagnostics for infectious diseases in reptiles and to better understand the roles of various pathogens in respiratory diseases in snakes.
支原体是龟类已知的呼吸道病原体，但在蛇类中的研究较少。为了更好地了解其与临床症状及合并感染的相关性，对有和没有临床呼吸道疾病的支原体阳性蛇的样本进行了分析。使用聚合酶链反应（PCR）和第三代测序（TGS）对15条蛇（12条蟒蛇、3条蚺蛇）的口腔拭子进行了检测。此外，还进行了支原体分离试验。通过PCR检测到的病原体包括支原体（15/15，100%）、蛇病毒（9/15，60%）和 sp.（2/15，13%）；通过TGS检测到的病原体包括支原体（14/15，93%）、蛇病毒（10/15，67%）、 sp.（1/15，7%）以及15种不同的细菌物种。支原体PCR产物的测序显示与 有密切的遗传关系。TGS鉴定出了基因上不同的支原体和三种不同的蛇病毒。虽然支原体未能成功培养，但在八种培养物中鉴定出了 comb. nov.。蛇类的呼吸道疾病通常是多因素的，涉及各种病原体和环境影响。这项研究表明，全面的诊断对于了解蛇类的疾病过程和改进多种病原体的检测至关重要。需要进一步研究以改善爬行动物传染病的实验室诊断，并更好地了解各种病原体在蛇类呼吸道疾病中的作用。
