Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello my friend. I've eared that IBD disease can have a different developement in boas and in pythons. I'm asking you if,according to your experience, IBD virus cannot be detected in boas as they may show symptoms after years of incubation. I've read into the internet that a quarantene of 6-8 months for boas is fine. what do you think? Is it thrue that boa symptoms are totally different than python symptoms including skin disease, regurgitation and mouth rot not seen in pythons that shows central nervous system disease?
Any info will be appreciated.
Flavio from Rome

I spoke with a very good reptile vet who believes some boas have actually developed a resistance to IBD and are Asymptomatic carriers. These animals live long healthy lives with no problem. These animals can pass the disease on to other animals that don't have the ability to resist the disease and then they get sick and die of course.

I believe many sick animals are incorrectly presumed to have IBD quite often. I think there are many other ailments out there that we have yet to diagnose so IBD is a convenient diagnosis when an animal gets sick.

Later,
Oz

Python in your post you speak of a few differant things, mouth rot and what not are not signs of IBD, those I would consider signs of other things. Also depending on the speices of snake you have their are bacterias that can act the same in an infected animal, Ive spoken to some very knowledgable people who have had first hand experiance with it. Boas can carry it for life, it is not believed to be air born or transmitted through any other means then bodily fluid. The one person I spoke to had a boa with IBD he kept with a ball python for a long period of time and to date the ball is fine and the boa was proven to have IBD. "I believe many sick animals are incorrectly presumed to have IBD quite often" I totally agree with that and I am not sure if you were getting at this point as well, but many times even when a boa is taken to a vet and IBD is found IBD gets the blame for the death when in reality it was something else. but due to the fear factor of the desease IBD was found and no further research into the cause of death was done so it wrongfully gets the label. If your worried about it the best you can do is make sure your collection is clean of mites and that anything you ever bring in is quarintined and treated for mites upon arrival. I treat ever animal that comes in my home for mites whether need be or not. Its easier to go that route then to fight them once you got them and they are known to be a carrier of IBD. hope this helps Jason
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Jason & Danica
Brother will kill brother....Spilling blood across the land....Killing for religion....Something I don't understand....Fools like me, who cross the sea....And come to foreign lands....Ask the sheep, for their beliefs....Do you kill on God's command? By Dave Mustaine
www.Dumerils.com

soon as it comes through the door. I had mites before and it was a nightmare! I pray never again.

Oz

This link has some good info on IBD. Regards Bill McLeod
http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/sacs/wildlife/IBDINFO.html