Rob
Thats not ranting at all, its pretty close to the mark of how alot of the research groups are thinking. They question if the virus is the primary pathology or results of an already degraded immune system. That would certainly seem to explain why the german giant line seems to be escaping this virus when it was known they were exposed the same as others that did.
You know where they get alot of their information? They can do the research on the specific virus, genes etc, but ther information that leads them to alot of their research comes from the broads like this one and breeders sharing information. I know for a fact that research staff at the Dept of Argiculture in EL Salvador and the United States read them, also the many of the groups doing the DNA sequencing have selected their next areas of study from information they see on them. Thats what I meant earlier about not underestimating the laymen.
Labs and groups may get tissue samples, or expose their own to have the material for research, but it is the laymen who is breeding or buying these infected animals that paint the picture of where it is coming from and how it is spread.
Also the next emerging breeds with an increase in this virus is cornsmakes and monitors. There has been a proposed new genus ATADENOVIRUS, that is beleived to be retpile in origin and the group at the Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences have isolated the adenovirus from a corn snake and found 60% of the genome markers to be closely related to this new genus, this was just released last month.
Uffern
Testing why german giants seem more resistant? not that I know of, but how much you want to bet there will be next week
We have been following this for almost two years now, and it has been interesting how often something mentioned on one of these boards show up in research and reports that started shortly after it was mentioned by owners/breeders.
The quotes in the earlier post I will dig up the urls, some where in emails to me as the researchers or doctors have not published them yet. One should be published the end of this month, others are still ongoing. I will find the URL's and if you would like the address, phone numbers of the doctors still working with these for your Vet I can PM or email those to you.
Dana
Yeah, it is scary, but let me stress, the increase was farily earlier enough, and even though it was all over the US and Central America in bearded dragons, they traced to only a few breeders. Further ruling out isolated cases that could have been infected from others, and those that had stopped breeding or selling any of the animals, less than a handful were left and they are aware of it.
Like we told others on another forum, ask the breeder outright if he has had any of these in his colony or hatchling groups die in large amount, get it in writing. Be leery of breeders selling off large quanities of adult dragons or ones they claim as holdback, if they held them back... why are they selling them now?
Also, people that emailed me asking and they have been mentioned a few times on this thread,
NO Sandfire Ranch was not a problem with either of these two maladies. One baby did test positive that was from Sandfire,
BUT that baby was also mixed with five others from five other breeders and one of those breeders, there where many traced too, so we are sure that baby contracted it
AFTER leaving Sandfire. It arrived fine but showed symptoms several weeks later, far past the incubation period for the virus. To further rule them out, I acquired one of their babies in August and it is clear.
Darin Chappell
My source of informations is not MK, they are from the people doing the actual research and their reports either on the web, through email, regular mail, meeting with them personally to talk, reviewing and exchanging research.
I will post the URls below, after I check that they are still active and any that were private, you can have their contact info to verify.
