Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Corn snake with adenovirus and Cryptosporidium infection causing poor
By Mahapatra, Debabrata et al.·Published in Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine : official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians·2013·Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Adenovirus and cryptosporidium co-infection in a corn snake (Elaphae guttata guttata).
- Species:
- reptile
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old albino corn snake was brought to the vet because it hadn't eaten for two weeks and was losing weight. Unfortunately, the snake was euthanized due to a poor prognosis. Tests showed that it was infected with both adenovirus and Cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause serious health issues. The adenovirus infection likely weakened the snake's immune system, making it more susceptible to the Cryptosporidium infection. This case is notable as it is the first report of this type of co-infection in this species of snake.
People also search for: corn snake anorexia treatment · adenovirus in snakes · Cryptosporidium infection in reptiles
Abstract
A 1-yr-old albino male corn snake (Elaphae guttata guttata), which was part of a large breeding stock, was presented to the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zoo and Exotic Animal Clinic with a history of anorexia for 2 wk and progressively declining body condition. The animal was euthanized due to a poor prognosis. Histopathology, electron microscopy, and polymerase chain reaction analysis on tissues revealed concurrent infection with adenovirus and Cryptosporidium. Primary infection with adenovirus could have caused immunodeficiency in the snake, thus predisposing it to secondary infection with Cryptosporidium. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of co-infection of adenovirus and Cryptosporidium in a Colubrid species of snake.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23505734/