Arenaviruses have recently been described as the likely cause of inclusion body disease (IBD) in boas and pythons. IBD is characterized by inclusion bodies found in cells of various tissues throughout the body. It appears to weaken the immune system of affected animals and is often associated with CNS signs as well as regurgitation in affected animals. In live animals, a combination of whole blood and esophageal swabs or, alternatively, a liver biopsy can be used for virus detection. In dead animals, brain and liver are particularly important for PCR testing. In pythons, the brain should always be tested.
our pcr detects definitely the CASV (california academy of sciences virus), GGV (golden gate virus) and CVV (collierville virus) strain. But a negative result can not exclude the presence of an IBD virus, because of the variability of arenavirus.
