I just want to touch on one quick thing that you said...

"Some animals can "allegedly" be carriers, without showing any symptoms. Well, if they carry this disease, "WHY DON'T THEY GET SICK". Could it be that some boas are immune? If a carrier of the disease is immune, couldn't they work on finding out why and find a cure?

It seems that young, strong animals can be resistant to the symptoms of the IBs (inclusion bodies) and that the symptoms only come on when the animal undergoes a stressful life change such as a breeding season where it refuses food and loses weight or when a female gives birth and loses wieght. The immune system seems to take a hit and that is when the symptoms really start to come in. I think the occurence of symptoms in young animals is going to be much rarer than in older, reproductively active ones. But then again... is that going to be because of stress or because they are being given the ability to infect others?!?

Again... this is all based on what I know of working with boas for the last 12 years, what I have learned from Dr. Jacobsen's research as well as some research done by others (mostly the staff of research veternarians at LSU) and other commercial breeders' personal commentary on their experiences.
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Sean Bradley
Owner : EbN
www.ExoticsByNature.com
www.BallPythonMorphs.com
www.BoaConstrictorMorphs.com
www.CornSnakeMorphs.com

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• Very Good Points... - DavidKendrick, Thu Jul 19 12:33:38 2007
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• Wow, Great discussion everybody..... - hiss_n_herps, Fri Jul 20 00:53:17 2007
• great info, thanks! n/p - AbsoluteApril, Fri Jul 20 12:14:22 2007