Boid inclusion body disease: the enigma unraveled?

Abstract

Boid inclusion body disease is a worldwide occurring disease in boas and pythons. The identity of the etiological agent of the disease remained elusive for several decades. Recently however, contemporary diagnostic methods and experimental studies delivered compelling proof that a group of divergent reptarenaviruses are the causative agents of BIBD. In contrast to what was initially thought, boid snakes can be persistent carriers of the viral disease without showing clinical signs. Although the cause of BIBD has been demonstrated, the diagnosis of BIBD may be challenging depending on the involved snake species, and the differentiation between comorbidities related to BIBD and clinical disease caused by concurrent disorders remains problematic. In this article, the course of BIBD infection in boid snakes, the major differences that are encountered towards the diagnosis of BIBD in pythons versus boas and the overall management of BIBD in captive snake collections are described.