IBD disease / My ball and my boas

Can't argue with any of that.

While airborne transmission is certainly a possibility, it doesn't explain some of the cases I have heard/read about...unless it doesn't follow conventional airborne rules. I think that it is just as likely that our quarantine/disinfection practices are not effective. (you can spray the hell out of everything with Chlorhexidene...but if the agent isn't susceptible to it, what are you really doing besides getting it wet??) Think about it for a moment...if killing/stopping IBD was as easy as routine (or even extraordinary) disinfection, why is the recommendation to DESTROY caging?
Granted, I am not up on all the research, so I don't know what has been proven -one way or the other - vs what is theory.

I will say that a total elapsed time of 3 weeks would be impressive for an python to be that symptomatic...unless, and assuming for the sake of argument that it is IBD, the exposure happened within his collection---ie BEFORE he took them to the sitter

I never understood the caging thing either ?
its most likely directed towards the enclosure's built from porous materials like wood/plywood etc.

The stance many seem to take is that this "bug" cant be killed like some alien life form destined to consume the world

Just what I have read in this post, and this post alone, it almost sounds like the similar diseases that occur in mammals caused by prions. However, prions can only be passed genetically and by eating afflicted tissues. I am very curious now! This sounds like a very serious illness that I need to read more about.

I am working on my Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology, so this is right up my alley.

Originally Posted by Metachrosis

I never understood the caging thing either ?
its most likely directed towards the enclosure's built from porous materials like wood/plywood etc.

The stance many seem to take is that this "bug" cant be killed like some alien life form destined to consume the world

Clearly a lot of that comes from lack of understanding, combined with the insidious nature of the disease.

As far as the caging - thinking realisitically, caging appropriately sized to an adult boa would be a to EFFECTIVELY clean/disinfect. Corners and creases are naturally harder to get into, and any residue of natural waste would offer some protection to the pathogen. Something along the lines of AP cages, that can be broken down, thoroughly scrubbed/disinfected with the proper agents, exposed to sunlight (repeat process x 3-10, just to be damn sure, lol), then reassembled, would probably be the safest bet.

In my particular case many of my enclosures were wooden. Not being able to find any definitive answers regarding IBDV led me to be as thorough as I could possibly be in preventing the disease from further infection.

As far as I am concerned..... better safe than sorry. IBDV hit me so hard that I would rather take a total loss than to risk a future collection. Look at how long ParvoVirus can hang around an area. We just don't have enough facts to warrant any chances.

UPDATE:
The ball is having a necropsy done on him today. Will this show if he was infected with the IBD?

Man I hope he doesn not have it. I had 1.1 Albinos, 2.2 Het for Albinos. What a shame!

I will post the results for anyone who cares to see.

I'm sorry to hear that he died...but glad that you are getting him checked out, so you know what the situation is.
I'm still curious about the statement you made earlier (Cat mentioned it, so I didn't bother...but since you didn't respond) -

My ball python was with the infected boa.

How do you know there was an infected boa? Was this one of yours? Or something they encountered while they were being boarded?
IF this turns out to be IBD, I suspect that the exposure was at your place, not the boarding location...3 weeks from exposure to death is incredibly fast - too fast, IMO, but I admit to relatively limited knowledge on the subject.

I do not think it the exposure was at the boarding place. I have been aquiring het for albino and albinos for the last 6 months. One of the new ones, I suspect is a carrier. I am not sure of the time frame it takes to hit the snake, pythons, but this snake was getting worse every day, very quick moving illness.

I sure hope it was something els that caused the neurological disorder. I have albinos just a t a year and they are georgous.

Would it be best to euthenize them all? Cant I just keep them as pets, dont breed?
Please tell me why or why not that will not work?!!?

Thanks

when did the python start showing symptoms?