Quarantine Talk Thread

[BLUESIRTALIS]

READ THIS LINK BELOW. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WOULD INFECT GARTER SNAKES, BUT THIS IS VERY SERIOUS FOR THE HOBBY RIGHT NOW.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...RoOx-D8qjJHvyg

[guidofatherof5]

READ THIS LINK BELOW. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WOULD INFECT GARTER SNAKES, BUT THIS IS VERY SERIOUS FOR THE HOBBY RIGHT NOW.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...RoOx-D8qjJHvyg

UF researcher and colleagues discover possible deadly new snake virus » College of Veterinary Medicine » University of Florida

[joeysgreen]

Yes, this disease can certainly affect gartersnakes. To our knowledge, it can affect all snakes. I do admire Dr. Jim Welhem. He gets to look for unknown virus's in herp's all day. The purpose of quarantine is to reduce the risk for all diseases, but a blood sample can be tested for paramyxovirus. PCR detects active infection, serology detects exposure. Unfortunately with gartersnakes, especially the young ones that might be new to your collection, their size can be prohibitive.

Ian

[guidofatherof5]

Yes, this disease can certainly affect gartersnakes. To our knowledge, it can affect all snakes. I do admire Dr. Jim Welhem. He gets to look for unknown virus's in herp's all day. The purpose of quarantine is to reduce the risk for all diseases, but a blood sample can be tested for paramyxovirus. PCR detects active infection, serology detects exposure. Unfortunately with gartersnakes, especially the young ones that might be new to your collection, their size can be prohibitive.

Ian

Due to the amount of blood needed for the test?

[chris-uk]

Due to the amount of blood needed for the test?

Almost certainly. That and the difficulty in drawing blood from garter scrubs.

[joeysgreen]

I can draw blood from anything, but the amount needed for the test is more than the animal can physically give in some cases. A safe blood draw is 10% of 10% of the body weight (blood volume is 10% body weight, and you can safely take 10% of that). The lab calls for 1ml of blood. Even though you can usually get away with a smaller sample, consider that if a snake weighs 10 grams, we can only take 0.1ml of blood (and once you see this volume compared to the size of the animal, even that seems like it's pushing it) .

If you get a new "scrub" as seems to be the term, it should have proved itself with a healthy quarantine before it's a size appropriate for sampling. However should they be consistent poor-doers, or die young, they can be sampled when larger or necropsied and samples sent for histopathology.

Ian

[guidofatherof5]

I can draw blood from anything, but the amount needed for the test is more than the animal can physically give in some cases. A safe blood draw is 10% of 10% of the body weight (blood volume is 10% body weight, and you can safely take 10% of that). The lab calls for 1ml of blood. Even though you can usually get away with a smaller sample, consider that if a snake weighs 10 grams, we can only take 0.1ml of blood (and once you see this volume compared to the size of the animal, even that seems like it's pushing it) .

If you get a new "scrub" as seems to be the term, it should have proved itself with a healthy quarantine before it's a size appropriate for sampling. However should they be consistent poor-doers, or die young, they can be sampled when larger or necropsied and samples sent for histopathology.

Ian

Thanks for the clarification.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

So the way i understand it is that this virus appears to be airborne correct?

[joeysgreen]

If I recall correctly, it can be both horizontal and vertically transmitted (via mother). Horizontal transmission can be pretty much any means, nasal/oral secretions, fecal/oral, male/female via mating.

Ian

[guidofatherof5]

If I recall correctly, it can be both horizontal and vertically transmitted (via mother). Horizontal transmission can be pretty much any means, nasal/oral secretions, fecal/oral, male/female via mating.

Ian

There's a couple terms I'm not familiar with.

Vertically transmitted infection - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Horizontal disease transmission - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia