Python nidoviruses, more than respiratory pathogens

Abstract

In recent years nidoviruses have emerged as an important respiratory pathogen of reptiles, affecting especially captive python populations. In pythons, nidovirus infection induces an inflammation of the upper respiratory and alimentary tract which can develop into a severe and often fatal proliferative pneumonia. We observed pyogranulomatous and fibrinonecrotic lesions in organ systems other than the respiratory tract during full post mortem examinations on 30 nidovirus RT-PCR positive pythons of varying species originating from Switzerland and Spain. The observations prompted us to study whether the atypical tissue tropism associates with previously unknown nidoviruses or changes in the nidovirus genome. RT-PCR and inoculation of Morelia viridis cell cultures served to recruit the cases and to obtain virus isolates. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining against nidovirus nucleoprotein demonstrated that the virus not only infects a broad spectrum of epithelial (respiratory and alimentary epithelium, hepatocytes, renal tubules, pancreatic ducts etc.), but also intravascular monocytes, intralesional macrophages and endothelial cells. By next-generation sequencing we obtained full length genome for a novel nidovirus species circulating in Switzerland. Analysis of viral genomes recovered from pythons showing nidovirus infection-associated respiratory or systemic disease did not explain the observed phenotypes. The results indicate that python nidoviruses have a broad cell and tissue tropism, further suggesting that the course of infection could vary and involve lesions in a broad spectrum of tissues and organ systems as a consequence of monocyte-mediated systemic spread of the virus. IMPORTANCEDuring the last years, python nidoviruses have become a primary cause of fatal disease in pythons. Nidoviruses represent a threat to captive snake collections, as they spread rapidly and can be associated with high morbidity and mortality. Our study indicates that, different from previously evidence, the viruses do not only affect the respiratory tract, but can spread in the entire body with blood monocytes, have a broad spectrum of target cells, and can induce a variety of lesions. Nidovirales is an order of animal and human viruses that compromise important zoonotic pathogens such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, as well as the recently emerged SARS-CoV-2. Python nidoviruses belong to the same subfamily as the mentioned human viruses and show similar characteristics (rapid spread, respiratory and gastrointestinal tropism, etc.). The present study confirms the relevance of natural animal diseases to better understand the complexity of viruses of the order nidovirales.