So just how common and how contagious IS IBD?

[4theSNAKElady]

I just wanted to know a bit more about Inclusion Body Disease, because Ive heard so many terrible things about it, like it wiping out whole collections, and some python keepers refusing to keep boas at all because of it, etc. I mean, just exactly HOW common is it? I cant recall that many instances of it on here...and just HOW contagious is it?? When I think about those of us who use super strict quarantine practices, I also think about other things too, like shows. Yea, hand sanitizer is used and everything, but you cant help think about the thousands of boas and pythons kept in close proximity in the same large "room", along with many other species...even wild caught! I mean, those breeders that do shows, do they quarantine the for sale animals everytime they come home from shows??? A few of my friends vend at shows, and they vend at least once every other month, some every month! It just can be a little concerning but confusing at the same time. Is IBD the WORST disease/illness that could happen to a beautiful ball collection, or is there something else out there even worse? Idk...

[4theSNAKElady]

Not a single comment??? meh.

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[MrLang]

I was under the impression based on some info I recall from some of the more trusted BP people here that IBD happens in boas and not ball pythons.

Don't quote me on that, though.

[SquamishSerpents]

Pythons can get IBD too, and it kills pythons much more quickly than it kills boas.

If you search IBD on the forums you will find many threads. Google has a lot of information too, I would search both "IBD" and "Inclusion Body Disease."

Here is the very first link.

http://www.boa-constrictors.com/en/I...n_Body_Disease

Also I don't do shows very often and he's we quarantine after getting back from shows. Not willing to risk it! Not just IBD, but crypto, mites, etc. some have said that 90 days isn't long enough of a quarantine to rule out these diseases, and maybe it's not. But it's better than NO quarantine. There is an alarming amount of people who ignore quarantine completely.

There's really only a handful of people I buy snakes from now though and we generally get more than one snake at a time, so with them being from the same vendor they are usually quarantined together.

[SquamishSerpents]

Also I don't do shows very often and yes we quarantine after getting back from shows.

Oops left that post too long before I could edit it, was typing on my phone before.

[kitedemon]

Sadly there is very little known about python IBD, boas yes ,tons. There also are a lot of incorrect info out there. A while back I had a chance to correspond with E Jacobson. Likely the foremost doctor studying IBD (the only perhaps?) His replies to my questions were brief and unsettling. There are a number of other messages back and forth over the past 2 years. The net result is it is unknown about the how contagious, how fast it can kill, about how long the animal can carry IBD, it is uncommon. I would suggest that everyone reading this donate some cash to the IBD studies (university of Florida vet program) and that if you are really concerned they (E Jacobson) can do IBD testing. It is not cheap however and needs to be prepped by a vet.

1. I am concerned with Royal Pythons (Python Regius) has there been evidence of them caring IBD for long periods of time with out showing symptoms?

I am not aware of any information about this,

2. Is it correct that in this smaller species IBD typically attacks the Central nervous system quickly, and results in quick (months not years) appearance of associated symptoms, and death?

Not that I am aware of.

3. If there is research specifically relating to Python Regius, would you have a reference that you could provide to me?

I do not know anyone who is focused on studying IBD in ball pythons.

EJacobson

[meowmeowkazoo]

I just wanted to know a bit more about Inclusion Body Disease, because Ive heard so many terrible things about it, like it wiping out whole collections, and some python keepers refusing to keep boas at all because of it, etc. I mean, just exactly HOW common is it? I cant recall that many instances of it on here...and just HOW contagious is it?? When I think about those of us who use super strict quarantine practices, I also think about other things too, like shows. Yea, hand sanitizer is used and everything, but you cant help think about the thousands of boas and pythons kept in close proximity in the same large "room", along with many other species...even wild caught! I mean, those breeders that do shows, do they quarantine the for sale animals everytime they come home from shows??? A few of my friends vend at shows, and they vend at least once every other month, some every month! It just can be a little concerning but confusing at the same time. Is IBD the WORST disease/illness that could happen to a beautiful ball collection, or is there something else out there even worse? Idk...

IBD is less common than you would think, but still a serious risk that should be kept in mind when quarantining (if for no other reason than to motivate yourself to keep strict quarantine procedures).

It is very contagious, but is most commonly caught through mite infestations, and contact with bodily fluids from infected snakes.

There's no way to know if a certain breeder quarantines their animals or not. I'm sure that some do, and others do not. I wouldn't worry about IBD being passed from one vendor's table to another, though.

IBD is one of the worst diseases your collection could get at this time. It's a virus with no known cure or treatment.

Right now there are some people working on a treatment for IBD. The following video is worth watching, for sure.

http://youtu.be/k8tjfB0fP4w

[SquamishSerpents]

I wouldn't worry about IBD being passed from one vendor's table to another, though.

I would. Do you know how many people come home from a show with mites? One vendor has ONE mite, and if that mite makes its way on to someone's sweater, and that someone holds one of your snakes, or it drops off onto your display, then BAM, you have mites. Since this seems to be the most common way of getting IBD, I'd be very careful. I'm even toying with the idea of using only PAM-treated aspen chips in my displays for the next show, just in case. Something that takes minutes to do but could save a lot.

I know. It's being overly paranoid. But is there really such a thing when it comes to diseases like this, and snake collections worth so much? Not just in the sense of a dollar-value (though that is quite significant), but all of my time, effort, and heart put in to this hobby. I don't think it's being overly paranoid.

[Pythonfriend]

oh, the thread got some replies

what i gathered online is.... its very rare in pythons, more common in boas. Boas can carry it hidden for a while, pythons quickly develop neuro problems and die. people say it can kill a python as quickly as within a few days to 2 weeks.

its quite contagious, when snakes come in contact or something comes into contact with more than one snake, but it doesnt seem to go from one enclosure to the other if everything is hygienic. Maybe its as contageous as the flu, except that snakes extremely rarely sneeze and because of that just dont produce aerosoles. however, combine it with mites, and it becomes extremely contageous, mites can transmit the disease and like to switch enclosures and explore to find new victims. Even if highly contageous, unless snakes start whistling and hissing like crazy if they get the disease (have never heared about that), or unless you do something unhygienic like re-using substrate, there is just no way it could spread through a collection unless mites are involved. A virus cannot walk, it sticks to stuff and permeates all bodily fluids or in the worst case occasionally flies with the air current in a tiny sneeze droplet. Mites do walk, they move around a lot.

so, not much is known, the only thing im quite sure about after reading up is the issue of transmission via blood-sucking mites.

if we could in addition manage to really confirm that it kills pythons quickly, then this would mean: Python keepers dont need to worry much about this disease, as long as some quarantining is practised and the collection is kept 100% free of mites and parasites.

[kitedemon]

oh, the thread got some replies
if we could in addition manage to really confirm that it kills pythons quickly, then this would mean: Python keepers dont need to worry much about this disease, as long as some quarantining is practised and the collection is kept 100% free of mites and parasites.

It is suspected that the incubation period is fairly long, boas absolutely, but pythons too there is at least one case that has had no known vector of infection for at least 4 months. There is no confirmation but the evidence is pointing to a long incubation period not a short one. 4-12 months incubation is likely, not confirmed but possible. The vector is also not understood it is suspected that mites are a strong contender but there are cases of no mites present and it still spreading as well. I'd suggest at least 6 months and perhaps longer unless testing has been done. (IBD and Ophidian Paramyxovirus) There is basically nothing certain in pythons, there has been no studies done at all. The internet is full of myths and rumours. Information on serious medical issues should be coming from research that is published, or from scholarly articles written by researchers. To our great loss no one is working with any pythons and IBD there are no facts only best guesses.