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9 July 2019 Snake Fungal Disease in Colubridae Snakes in Connecticut, USA in 2015 and 2017
Daniel Licitra, Dennis P. Quinn, Jani E. Reeder, Tyler Gavitt, Jenny Dickson, Brian Hess, Barbara J. Mangold, Allison D. Tuttle, Arely Rosas-Rosas, Salvatore Frasca, Steven M. Szczepanek
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Abstract

Snake fungal disease (SFD), caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, is an emerging threat to wild snake populations in the US. Data regarding its distribution, prevalence, and population-level impacts are sparse, and more information is needed to better manage SFD in the wild. In this study, we captured 38 wild snakes of five species in Connecticut in the summers of 2015 and 2017. Skin lesions were biopsied and evaluated histologically for fungal dermatitis. At least one individual from each species was positive for SFD, and 48% of snakes sampled in 2015 and 39% of snakes sampled in 2017 were positive for SFD. A Dekay's brownsnake (Storeria dekayi dekayi) with SFD lesions, captured in the summer of 2017, extended the host range of the disease. Thus, SFD was present in wild Connecticut snakes in 2015 and 2017, which demonstrated a wide-spread distribution throughout the state.

© Wildlife Disease Association 2019
Daniel Licitra, Dennis P. Quinn, Jani E. Reeder, Tyler Gavitt, Jenny Dickson, Brian Hess, Barbara J. Mangold, Allison D. Tuttle, Arely Rosas-Rosas, Salvatore Frasca, and Steven M. Szczepanek "Snake Fungal Disease in Colubridae Snakes in Connecticut, USA in 2015 and 2017," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 55(3), 658-662, (9 July 2019). https://doi.org/10.7589/2018-04-100
Received: 12 April 2018; Accepted: 14 September 2018; Published: 9 July 2019
KEYWORDS
Colubridae
emerging infectious disease
Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola
snake fungal disease
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