Study finds widespread coinfections in southeastern wild snakes

Deadly fungus and lung parasites are hitting wild rattlesnakes in the southeastern U.S., according to a new Frontiers in Veterinary Science study highlighted May 26, 2026. Researchers examined 509 free-ranging snakes from Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia, spanning 29 species, and found that 44.0% had coinfections. Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, the fungus behind snake fungal disease, was detected in 16.1% of sampled snakes, while the invasive lung parasite Raillietiella orientalis was found in 12.7% of Florida snakes. The study linked both pathogens with poorer body condition, and it flagged pygmy rattlesnakes as especially vulnerable, often carrying both infections at once. (frontiersin.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, especially those in wildlife, exotics, pathology, and conservation medicine, the report adds to evidence that snake disease surveillance can't focus on a single pathogen at a time. The authors found coinfection was strongly associated with apparent ophidiomycosis, suggesting clinicians and diagnosticians may need to think more broadly about concurrent fungal, parasitic, and other infectious burdens when evaluating debilitated wild snakes. That matters in the Southeast, where R. orientalis has spilled over from invasive Burmese pythons into native snakes in Florida and has already been associated with morbidity and mortality in species including pygmy rattlesnakes. (frontiersin.org)

What to watch: Expect more work on how these coinfections affect survival, reproduction, and population decline, particularly in Florida rattlesnakes and other high-risk native species. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)