Oroesophageal Adenovirus-Like Infection in a Palm Viper, Bothriechis marchi, With Inclusion Body-Like Disease
J Herpe Med Surg 12[3]:30-32 Fall'02 Pathology Pages 8 Refs

An adult, captive-born palm viper, Bothriechis marchi, was found dead in its enclosure. Histologically, there were eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies within epithelial cells in the stomach, intestine, lung, trachea, and esophagus. In addition, there were basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in mucosal epithelial cells lining the oral cavity and esophagus with multifocal subacute esophagitis and stomatitis. Electron microscopy of the intranuclear inclusion bodies revealed crystalline arrays of hexagonal, 65 - 68 nm, particles morphologically consistent with Adenovirus. This palm viper was diagnosed with inclusion body-like disease, as previously reported in palm vipers, with concurrent esophagitis and stomatitis due to infection with Adenovirus-like particles. [Abstract]