Ophidian Paramyxovirus information

[adbacus]

Have any cases been found in wild specimens?
Would a good herp vet be able to organise tests on suspected animals?

1. Depending on who you talk to, the theorists out there believe that the disease originiated in Australia. I prefer to believe in conventional thinking that it was an introduced disease. I have not seen any papers or documents out there that suggest that it has managed to get out in the wild. There have been no studies I know of out there to suggest that it is out there. However, there has been a huge decline in the presence of herps and Australian Native Flora and fauna within the last 30 odd years.

2. Definitive tests on animals at this point in time involve in killing the animal. The only reliable method I have been told of diagnosis is through tissue histology. I have suggested to a few people that modified ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbed Assay) or PCR (polymerase Chain Reaction) tests may be beneficial and would not necessarily kill the animal. The issue with this is that the tests require specific keyed DNA for the causative agents which cause IBD and OPMV. The dna viral strands themselves require to be isolated. At this point, the actual identification of key strands themselves are not 100% and more research needs to be done.

I am still waiting for anyone who might be able to give more information on the use of Colombovac and it's efficacy and viability as it is an APMV (Avian Paramyxovirus) Vaccine.

 

[xycom]

there has been a huge decline in the presence of herps and Australian Native Flora and fauna within the last 30 odd years.

quote]

I've noticed a decline repile numbers around the west of Melbourne, othors have also mentioned a big decline recently.

 

[xycom]

It's not airbourne according to Raymond Hoser

All transmission in over a dozen confirmed cases was by fluids, in the form of blood (via mites), water bowls, cleaning cloths or feeding utensils as in forceps.
Airborne transmission did not occur even when affected and unaffected snakes sat within 3 cm of one another and with their cages connected via air-holes in direct line of sight, even though they remained in such a position for weeks.

http://www.smuggled.com/OPMV3F.htm

 

[xycom]

I hope it's OK, I've copied what you wrote and sent it in to Wildlife Victoria for their news letter.

 

[-Peter]

It's not airbourne according to Raymond Hoser


http://www.smuggled.com/OPMV3F.htm

first line in the link you have

"(Editor's note: Since publication of this communication at end of June 2003, Electron Micrograph (EM) results have shown the virus to be a Reovirus."

as such the Hoser article has no relevance to OPMV.

 

[olivehydra]

first line in the link you have

"(Editor's note: Since publication of this communication at end of June 2003, Electron Micrograph (EM) results have shown the virus to be a Reovirus."

as such the Hoser article has no relevance to OPMV.

I said as much and the post went walkies? Even clarified it as being "imo".

 

[cris]

The thing is with a virus they apparently cant diagnose in a living animal(for some reason?) is that infected animals can show no symptoms and potentially carry the disease while others immune systems will 'defeat' the virus.

Is there any accurate information on the spread of this virus?

I think it would be a good idea for big snake breeders to donate a fair amount of profits into research, with a bit of money the problem shouldnt be hard to solve IMO

 

[adbacus]

A virus can be detected in any living animal with the tests I described above. The problem is getting the right genetic markers and sequence. A virus in its general form is hard to isolate without knowing key markers and its pathology. This is due to the fact that they bind with the host cells DNA and it becomes incorporated into the viral strand. This is why it changes and different strains develop. If we could preempt the changes in the viral strands, we wouldn't have the cold and certainly we wouldn't be so worried about Bird Flu.

The studies on OPMV IMHO does not directly show key correlations of the transmissability of the virus. Hence, this is why standard precautions ( as what is used by health staff ) is what has been recommended.

Research is in there. Tim Hyndman is apparently doing a huge study in WA and yes money does help, but researching genetic markers may run into the millions IMO. A cure may be years away or minutes. Until then I will attempt to manage as best I can and use universal precautions.

 

[xycom]

Excuse my ignorance but what is "IMO"

 

[IsK67]

In My Opinion.

Bookmark this. It'll help. http://www.netlingo.com/

IsK

 

[Chimera]

The thing is with a virus they apparently cant diagnose in a living animal(for some reason?) is that infected animals can show no symptoms and potentially carry the disease while others immune systems will 'defeat' the virus.

Is there any accurate information on the spread of this virus?

I think it would be a good idea for big snake breeders to donate a fair amount of profits into research, with a bit of money the problem shouldnt be hard to solve IMO

I think greater benefit will come out of information about possible transmission mediums. Unfortunately there is a great deal of irrational fear about OPMV at the moment. It wouldn't surprise me if the thought would cross a breeders mind "if I offer up information about the OPMV deaths I have had, will I be blacklisted in peoples minds".

I am not saying all breeders are thinking this, but no matter how well you can account for your biosecurity procedures and how well you've limited the impact people will still think "wasn't he the guy who had OPMV in his collection".

IMO (in my opinion) a simpler starting point would be to continue the education campaign within the reptile keeper community to remove the irrational fear and replace it with intelligent responsibilty. If people like olivehydra and nightowl continue to offer information about their keeping practices and OPMV outbreaks we can draw correlations between cases and identify potential transmission mediums.

 

[xycom]

Do you have contact details for Tim or any articles on the topic from him?

 

[cris]

It would be very easy to do a study to find out how its transmitted all thats needed is money, or is their already a study being conducted?

 

[adbacus]

It would be very easy to do a study to find out how its transmitted all thats needed is money, or is their already a study being conducted?

It isn't as easy as you think. Until the actual pathogen (bug) is isolated and defined with the specific gene markers, the study would be flawed. As stated before, the bug, needs to be specifically isolated before management and cure can be defined.

Who knows, it may not be a bug at all but an auto immune disease caused by continuous breeding of a limited gene pool, or a prionic pathogen caused by using rodents as a food source (i.e. Jakob Kreutzfeldt's /Mad Cow disease) - I certainly do not know.

As stated by others, there is a theory that some snakes have some form of immunity or partial immunity or are carriers. The carriers you wouldn't unless a definitive test is found.

There are plenty of other diseases out there and OPMV is greatly banded out. IBD and other reoviruses also cause very similar signs and symptoms as well as very similar post mortem tissue histology. I believe that if ppl do not know they just point to OPMV and cause panic.

My advise is to learn and utilise universal precautions for all your herps. Use quarrantine processes on new snakes. Listen to the more experienced herpers here who give advice. Learn from those who have dealt with a confirmed outbreak of the disease in their collections and be aware of your snakes health.

 

[cris]

To find out how its spreads would be easy, i could do it if i had money, facilities, snakes and could be bothered, the other stuff is alot harder and needs heaps more money.

You just get snakes such as Crotalids and try various forms of transmition in an experiement. It is so simple i dont understand why it hasnt been done, or im i missing something ?

 

[Mrs Mac]

thanks for the info nightowl it was a very interesting read.

 

[Chimera]

To find out how its spreads would be easy, i could do it if i had money, facilities, snakes and could be bothered, the other stuff is alot harder and needs heaps more money.

You just get snakes such as Crotalids and try various forms of transmition in an experiement. It is so simple i dont understand why it hasnt been done, or im i missing something ?

The point I'm making cris is that we could achieve a lot without this funding. The more open people are about cases the better information we will have in the short term prior to studies being funded let alone completed.

 

[adbacus]

To find out how its spreads would be easy, i could do it if i had money, facilities, snakes and could be bothered, the other stuff is alot harder and needs heaps more money.

You just get snakes such as Crotalids and try various forms of transmition in an experiement. It is so simple i dont understand why it hasnt been done, or im i missing something ?

As I stated = the bug that causes OPMV has not been directly isolated. Other viruses may be mistaken for OPMV. So transmission study would be flawed. It is a waste of funds without the bug itself.

Otherwise look at a study on Colombovac and the efficacy of this vaccine that is already available.

 

[HerpDoc]

I think you might be a bit confused adbacus, the cause of OPMV has been isolated a clue to that fact is in the name: Ophidian PARAMYXOVIRUS. The Paramyxovirus is an enveloped RNA virus 120 to 150um in diameter and 2 distinct subgroups have been shown to exist. Virus has been isolated and cultured but only from tissues harvested at postmortem.
The cause of IBD on the other hand has not been identified although a RETROVIRUS has been postulated to be the pathogen. This is a little harder to prove though becuase on electron microscope viral particles resembling retovirus have been seen in affected snakes but never cultured. The problem with this is that all animals carry retroviruses in their bodies but most of them are non-pathogenic so it is hard to interpret in this case.

 

[cris]

So why dont they know how its transmitted?

We cant cure HIV(unless caught very early) but since we know how it transfers it isnt a big problem for our society. It would be the same for OPMV once we know exactly how it transfers it will no longer be a big problem IMO

Also why cant a biopsy be done on live animals to diagnose it(obviously not brain tissue) ?

Also what has happend to IBD is it very common? cant say i have heard about it for many years.