This study showed that captive pythons harbored more bacterial species than anaconda or boa. Most of the bacterial species isolated from these snakes have public health importance and have been incriminated in human infections worldwide.

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis causes caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), which is a contagious and chronic disease in sheep and goats. In order to assess the histopathological changes observed in the reproductive organs of nonpregnant does infected with the bacteria, 20 apparently healthy adult Boer does were divided into four inoculation groups, intradermal, intranasal, oral, and control, consisting of five goats each. Excluding the control group, which was unexposed, other does were inoculated with 107 CFU/1 mL of live C. pseudotuberculosis through the various routes stated above. Thirty days after infection, the ovaries, uterus, and iliac lymph nodes were collected for bacterial recovery and molecular detection, as well as histopathological examination. The mean changes in necrosis, congestion, inflammatory cell infiltration, and oedema varied in severity among the ovaries, uterus, and iliac lymph nodes following different inoculation routes. Overall, the intranasal route of inoculation showed more severe (p < 0.05) lesions in all the organs examined. The findings of this study have shown that C. pseudotuberculosis could predispose to infertility resulting from pathological lesions in the uterus and ovaries of does.

Boid inclusion body disease (BIBD) is a viral disease of boids caused by reptarenavirus. In this study, tissue from naturally infected boid snakes were homogenized and propagated in African Monkey kidney (Vero) and rat embryonic fibroblast (REF) cells. Virus replication was determined by the presence of cytopathic effect, while viral morphology was observed using transmission electron microscopy. Viral RNA was amplified using RT-PCR with primers specific for the L-segment of reptarenavirus; similarly, quantification of viral replication was done using qPCR at 24-144 h postinfection. Viral cytopathology was characterized by cell rounding and detachment in both Vero and REF cells. The viral morphology showed round-to-pleomorphic particles ranging from 105 to 150 nm which had sand-like granules. Sanger sequencing identified four closely associated reptarenavirus species from 15 (37.5 %) of the total samples tested, and these were named as follows: reptarenavirus UPM-MY 01, 02, 03, and 04. These isolates were phylogenetically closely related to the University Helsinki virus (UHV), Boa Arenavirus NL (ROUTV; BAV), and unidentified reptarenavirus L20 (URAV-L20). Comparison of deduced amino acid sequences further confirmed identities to L-protein of UHV, L-polymerase of BAV and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of URAV-L20. Viral replication in Vero cells increased steadily from 24 to 72 h and peaked at 144 h. This is the first study in South East Asia to isolate and characterize reptarenavirus in boid snakes with BIBD.

The gram-negative bacterium Pasteurella multocida serotype B: 2 is an important veterinary and opportunistic human pathogen that causes deplorable welfare problems and colossal economic production losses in bovine and other animal species throughout the world. Pasteurella multocida type B: 2 and its LPS are associated with Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) in mice as animal model. Sixty healthy Balb c mice were placed in twelve plastic cages each one containing five mice. The mice were divided into three major groups (A, B and C). Group A is the control group (n = 10) and these were inoculated with 0.4 mL of PBS pH 7.4 orally. The treatment groups (B; n = 25 and C; n = 25) were inoculated with P. multocida type B: 2 and lipopolysaccharide respectively. The mice in group B and C were further divided into five subgroups. The subgroups were designated based on the graded doses as B10 1 , B10 3 , B10 5 , B10 7 and B10 9 for Pasteurella multocida and C10 1 , C10 3 , C10 5 , C10 7 and C10 9 for LPS respectively. The mice were observed for 120 h post-inoculation. The concentration of IL-1β was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the B10 7 of P. multocida type B: 2 and C10 9 of LPS compared to the control group and the other treatment groups. The concentration of IL-6 was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the B10 3 cfu of P. multocida type B: 2 and C10 9 cfu of LPS compared to the control group and the other treatment groups. Interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 evaluated in this study were predominantly associated with HS in varying doses of 10 1 , 10 3 , 10 5 , 10 7 and 10 9 in the whole cell and its LPS respectively. Therefore, the target of this study was to investigate on proinflammatory response in mice infected with graded doses of Pasteurella multocida serotype B: 2 and its LPS via the oral route of inoculation.

This case reports bacterial co-infection in a dead albino python (Python bivittatus). The snake was brought in dead to the Universiti Veterinary Hospital, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Necropsy was conducted and organ samples were sent for virus and bacterial isolation, as well as histopathology. Gross pathological lesions include congestion of the heart, spleen and liver and presence of superficial whitish circumscribed spots in the lungs. Bacterial culture showed the presence of Salmonella enterica ssp arizona, Plesiomonas shigelloides and Enterobacter cloacae. Histopathological evaluation showed evidence of necrosis, degeneration and heterophil infiltration in the liver, kidney, heart and lungs. The snake was diagnosed to have died of bacterial septicemia.