Include

[nightowl]

Some info from NPWS....

Inclusion Body Disease (IBD)
• The disease is thought to be caused by a virus, but one or more viruses may be capable of causing similar diseases in reptiles.
• Many reports link the disease with the presence of a retrovirus, although other viruses (herpes and reoviruses) have been identified in snakes with IBD.
• The incubation period is unknown but is likely to range from a few weeks to many months.
• The IBD virus causes ‘inclusion bodies’ that causes damage anywhere in the body.
• IBD causes progressive damage to nerves, brain, spinal chord and internal organs leading to death.
• Pythons show nervous signs with decreased appetites but no regurgitation.
• Later signs of IBD include head tremors, disorientation, lack of coordination, stargazing, and snake unable to right itself when placed on its back, convulsions and flaccid paralysis.
• The disease progresses more rapidly in pythons, takes months in boas, but only weeks/few months in pythons.
• The disease is fatal in animals that show signs of the disease, although most snakes are euthanased rather than being allowed to waste away.
• There may be ‘asymptomatic carriers’ of IBD, ie individual snakes, particularly boas, that are infected with the virus but do not show any signs of the disease.
• The disease is thought to be spread by contact with an infected snake, droplets through the air, or persons passing secretions from one snake to another during handling or cleaning.
• The disease may be diagnosed by a biopsy and by post mortem examination, but there is currently no definitive test.
• No treatment has been shown to be effective, and euthanasia is the preferred option.

Ophidian Paramyxovirus (OPMV)
• The virus affects the respiratory system and may also suppress the immune system resulting in secondary bacterial infections in the lungs and other organs.
• Snakes may carry the disease without showing any clinical signs.
• Signs of the disease include sudden death with no previous signs, abnormal respiratory sounds, open-mouth breathing, anorexia, and exudate or blood in the mouth.
• The disease progresses rapidly and spreadsquickly to other snakes if introduced into a collection. The number of deaths peaks about a month after the first deaths.
• Convulsions may be seen before death but nervous signs are generally not apparent.
• OPMV tends to be seen in the colder months of the year as the virus is thought to replicate at the optimal temperature of 30 degrees C.
• OPMV is probably transmitted through the air as droplets from the respiratory system. It may persist for some time in water bowls and pools of water, and may also be spread via faeces.
• OPMV may be diagnosed by blood sample or after death by pathology.
• No specific treatment is available, but it may be possible to treat secondary respiratory infections in some snakes with antibiotics. However, euthanasia of all snakes showing signs of the disease is the preferred option in most situations to limit the spread of the virus.

I would advise averyone to follow strict quarantine procedures for atleast 6 to 12 months after acquiring new stock or handling someone elses animals. It seems the only way to stop the disease is to prevent it from spreading.

If everyone did their part and practised good hygeine, quarantine and notified others if there is infection in their stock so the infected animals could be euthanased before spreading it further then we, as a community, could stop this terrible problem.

Shane