Pathology associated with ophidiomycosis in wild snakes in Ontario, Canada
Christina M McKenzie1, Paul T Oesterle1, Brian Stevens1
1Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative - Ontario/Nunavut, Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1 (McKenzie, Oesterle, Stevens, Shirose, Jardine); Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1 (McKenzie, Lillie, Jardine); Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, Environmental Science Building, Suite A211, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2 (Davy); Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, 300 Water Street, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 8M5 (Davy); Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, University of Georgia, 589 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA (Nemeth).
Abstract:
Ophidiomycosis (snake fungal disease) is the most common cause of skin lesions in free-ranging snakes in North America. Naturally infected snakes with ophidiomycosis (9 carcasses, 12 biopsies) were examined grossly and histologically. These cases comprised 32% of the 66 snake cases submitted to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative-Ontario/Nunavut Node in 2012 through 2018. Affected species included the eastern foxsnake (Pantherophis vulpinus; n = 15), gray ratsnake (Pantherophis spiloides; n = 3), eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus; n = 2), and queensnake (Regina septemvittata; n = 1). Severity of disease varied widely from mild microscopic skin lesions to fatal, necrotizing, and ulcerative facial lesions. Key clinical message: Ophidiomycosis should be the primary differential diagnosis for skin lesions in wild snakes, particularly in southern Ontario.
More Related Videos
07:37Using Terminal Transferase-mediated dUTP Nick End-labelling TUNEL and Caspase 3/7 Assays to Measure Epidermal Cell Death in Frogs with Chytridiomycosis
Published on: May 16, 2018
04:41Author Spotlight: Analysis of Ovarian Anatomy in Migratory Insects to Overcome Experimental Challenges
Published on: July 14, 2023
