Abstract
Since the 1970s, several species of herpesviruses have been identified and associated with significant diseases in reptiles. Earlier discoveries placed these viruses into different taxonomic groups on the basis of morphological and biological characteristics, while advancements in molecular methods have led to more recent descriptions of novel reptilian herpesviruses, as well as providing insight into the phylogenetic relationship of these viruses. Herpesvirus infections in reptiles are often characterised by non-pathognomonic signs including stomatitis, encephalitis, conjunctivitis, hepatitis and proliferative lesions. With the exception of fibropapillomatosis in marine turtles, the absence of specific clinical signs has fostered misdiagnosis and underreporting of the actual disease burden in reptilian populations and hampered potential investigations that could lead to the effective control of these diseases. In addition, complex life histories, sampling bias and poor monitoring systems have limited the assessment of the impact of herpesvirus infections in wild populations and captive collections. Here we review the current published knowledge of the taxonomy, pathogenesis, pathology and epidemiology of reptilian herpesviruses.
Highlights
Reptiles are a group of vertebrates that are adapted to a broad range of terrestrial and aquatic environments [1, 2]
This review aims to assist in biosecurity planning as well as create a knowledge platform for decision makers and researchers by providing an overview of the taxonomy, pathogenesis, pathology and epidemiology of reptilian HVs
An additional literature search was conducted by assessing references of articles selected from previous databases
Summary
Reptiles are a group of vertebrates (class Reptilia) that are adapted to a broad range of terrestrial and aquatic environments [1, 2]. Reptiles constitute an integral part of the natural ecosystem and play the roles of both pollinators and predators, as well as environmental health indicators [4] In addition to their ecological services, reptiles have become desirable for food, medicinal products, pet trade, leather goods and research applications [5,6,7]. Disease surveillance and research in wild populations of reptiles are associated with numerous challenges including difficulties in accessing samples or field data, misleading epidemiological data and missing population data, as well as political and cultural restrictions [11]. Researchers have taken a renewed interest in reptilian viruses, partly due to the role played by reptiles as reservoir hosts for zoonotic viruses, as well as improvements in viral diagnostic methods that, in turn, have increased understanding of viruses in reptiles [16,17,18,19,20]
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