Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Randy and others,

Here is a link to a thread in the Boa forum about IBD. It is good reading for those who are curious.

forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=721385,721385

Randy, you stated that baby Boas would have to have liver biopsies because they can be born with it. I would just like to state that IBD is present in the brain and spinal fluid first and travels to other organs via the bloodstream. Just because an animal doesn't have Inclusion Bodies in its liver or other organs doesn't mean that the animal is IBD negative. Currently the ONLY way to test for IBD is by pathology. The animal must be killed and its head severed and brain biopsies tested by a laboratory experienced in the diagnosis of Inclusion Bodies.

Please everyone read all you can about IBD and try to understand it. This is the best way for you to prevent problems with your Python collections. It is a problem that scares us all and hopefully one day we can understand it, test for it and perhpas cure it.

Good luck...

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Sean Bradley
Owner : EbN
www.ExoticsByNature.com
www.BallPythonMorphs.com
www.CornSnakeMorphs.com

Anyone ever heard of CJD in humans...or mad cow disease (BSE) in...well cows. Seems pretty similar to IBD in boas, if I had money, I'd bet they were caused by a similar agent (prions). Pretty interesting subject, but it seems to scare the crap out of everyone, myself included.

For those of you who aren't very familar with CJD or prion diseases, check out this link, its brief and informative

http://www.cjdfoundation.org/cjdisease.html

As a graduate student is the field surrounding this disease, I know in the case of CJD, several treatments are on the way for humans, but we are still really far from any type of cure.

Is CJD the disease that struck African cannibals in the mid 20th century?
I seem to recall a documentary a couple years back with footage showing the affected cannibals and their 'stuttery' walk. It was caused by eating the brains (as per ritual/tradition) of deceased members of the tribes/villages.

I am just waking up so I may be mistaken.

BB

Yeah, that's right, but you can get the disease without being an cannibal. You only need to be exposed to a diseased persons body fluids...pretty similar to IBD. The pathology of the disease is similar too.