Discovery of a novel pathogenic virus in wild Sidewinders (Crotalus cerastes)

Mendelson III, Joseph R.

jmendelson@zooatlanta.org

Leach, Kathryn S.                                                                                                                                                

Rivera, Sam                                                                                                                                                      

Hill, Robert L.

Zoo Atlanta                                                                                                                                                      

Atlanta, Georgia USA

School of Biological Sciences                                                                                                                               

Georgia Institute of Technology                                                                                                                     

Atlanta, Georgia USA

Wellehan, James F. X.

Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine                                                              

College of Veterinary Medicine                                                                                                                  

University of Florida                                                                                                                               

Gainesville, Florida USA

Sunviridae is a new family of viruses initially isolated from captive pythons in Sunshine Coast, Australia. In 2018, two zoo-housed sidewinders (Crotalus cerastes) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, succumbed to respiratory disease. From these sidewinders, a new sunshine virus variant was identified, showing 69.8% homology to the sunshine virus from Australia. Extensive testing of the snake collection at Zoo Atlanta identified three additional infected sidewinders, but no other snakes. The new sunvirid was found only in sidewinders collected in 2012 from Yuma, Arizona, prompting investigation of the source. In 2022, we returned to the site of collection of the sidewinders at Zoo Atlanta, to screen for the virus in wild sidewinders. Here we report the discovery of sunshine virus in a wild population of sidewinders in Yuma, Arizona, which also represents the first detection of sunshine virus in a wild population of snakes on any continent. Lung-lavage samples were obtained from ten sidewinders; three tested positive for the new Yuma Sidewinder Sunshine virus. Genetic analysis revealed high homology (98.5-99%) between the wild-sampled and zoo-sampled populations suggesting the virus detected at the zoo originated from the wild population.  Our study underscores the importance of surveilling for potentially emerging infectious diseases. Further investigation to better understand this virus’s epidemiology, geographic and taxonomic span, and potential conservation implications are in progress. We do not yet know if this virus, which can be fatal, represents any conservation threat.