Detection of nidoviruses in samples collected from captive snakes in Europe between 2016 and 2021

Background Nidoviruses are increasingly detected in various snake species worldwide, but much remains to be learned about their distribution and the factors influencing their epidemiology. Methods This retrospective study evaluated the results of routine nidovirus testing, by PCR, of 5210 swab samples from pet snakes from various European countries that were submitted to a commercial veterinary laboratory in Germany between 2016 and 2021. Results The overall detection rate was 19.96%. However, the detection rate varied significantly depending on the snake species (p < 0.0001), with the highest rate in Indian pythons (Python molurus) (42.24%). Rates also varied depending on the season of sample collection (p < 0.0001), with the highest rate in winter (24.46%), and the country of sample origin (p < 0.0001), with the highest rate in Austria (36.69%). The detection rate also decreased significantly (p = 0.0003) over the 6‐year observation period, from 26.43% to 17.64%. Limitation No information on clinical signs was available for most of the sampled snakes. Conclusion The present study supplies new information on the distribution of python nidoviruses (subgenus Roypretovirus) in pet snakes in Europe and indicates a dynamic situation with possible changes in prevalence over time.