Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Are there many diseases that can be transmitted between colubrids and pythons? When my local reptile society does animal presentations I never bring my pythons for fear that another member may bring a python or boa with IBD that could infect my snakes. I'm thinking of getting a colubrid like a kingsnake or gopher snake to bring to our animal presentations. Would there be a disease that a kingsnake could get that could infect my python collection at home? thanks in advance.

>>Are there many diseases that can be transmitted between colubrids and pythons? >>

One concern would be paramyxovirus, it affects both families. This link a brief, copied section on paramyxovirus from Dr. Douglas Mader's book.

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/general-herps/ophidian-paramyxovirus-information-44092

Thanks for the prompt reply. I've never heard about this condition. How widespread is this ophidian paramyoxvirus in the U.S.? Extremely rare or quite common?

>>Thanks for the prompt reply. I've never heard about this condition. How widespread is this ophidian paramyoxvirus in the U.S.? Extremely rare or quite common?

Snakes with this virus often have secondary infections, both bacterial and parasitic and their deaths are likely often attributed to these conditions when the underlying cause may have been paramyoxvirus. One article (Mader's?) suggested that IBD positive animals should also be tested for paramyoxvirus. Getting an idea of the prevalence would require more owners to have a full work-up done on sick animals and necropsied animals to rule out or confirm this virus. Due to that, I susect it is under-reported.

thanks for the info!