New virus blamed for killing 31 snakes at Ocean Park
Scientists link illness that decimated Ocean Park's newborn anacondas to new reptile bug
A new virus has been identified as the cause of an illness that killed 31 baby anacondas at Ocean Park three years ago.
A study, led by University of Hong Kong microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung, found the virus that killed the newborn anacondas was closely related to other reptilian paramyxovirus, but it was capable of being transmitted only among snake species.
The report was published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology last week.
The epidemic in 2011 was believed to have originated from a mother snake bought from Japan, which was found to be pregnant only after arriving at Ocean Park in Wong Chuk Hang.
After the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) gave birth to 33 baby snakes on July 10, 2011, all of them developed skin and organ inflammation. Of the 33 born, 31 died over the next 12 months.
A spokeswoman for Ocean Park said that the surviving mother and two green anaconda juveniles were now healthy.