Paramyxovirus

[Skiploder]

I purchased 16 normal adult females from Steve Ori at A Forgeten Realm back in December. A couple came in with what we thought was R I. So I got some baytrel and isolated the couple that came in sick. I had bought a lot of snakes esle where around the same time as I was just getting in to this, so I wasn't QT any of the other stuff. Around mid Januray I had one of the sick ones in qt die and had a necropsy done and lungs were full of crap. Had a culture done and came back as possibly psudemonous (how ever you spell it) In the mean time some of the other females came up sick and then a few males that were purchased somewhere else were getting sick. They have been breeding some of the now sick females. After the second one died we had a pathologest look at tissue samples and he thinks it is paramyxovirus. Wants fresh tissue samples to confirm. We have been treating with baytrel and amikacen. Not sure where to go from here.

Marty

The pseudomonas bacteria could be an opportunistic infection brought on by an immune system compromised by another health issue.

Pseudomonas and bacterial lung infections are relatively common in snakes afflicted with OPMV.

However that's only a potential indicator. Pseudomonas are also seen in secondary infections associated with IBD, crypto, septicemia, scale rot, stomatitis and even with non-pathogen related stress issues (shipping, dehydration, mites, poor conditions).

In other words - the presence of pseudomonas bacteria can be expected in many illness scenarios.

Best of luck.

[mpenny]

The last culture on the snake that died wouldn't grow any bacteria. Yet her lung was full of snotty mucous. The lung wall was thicker than normal. I am definitly moving some of my snakes around now.
Marty

[wilomn]

I believe Paramyxo can only be identified by a liver biopsy, which can be falsely negative or by necropsy, which is 100% yes or no.

Sounds like your vet may not be up to date on that virus.

Ask him/her and make sure you're being properly taken care of. This could not only wipe you out but anyone who got anything from the same people you did.

This is NOT something to take lightly.

[mpenny]

My vet came highly recommend. We didn't think about para viris when he sent a sample to the pathologist. If I lose another one the whole thing will probbly go to the pathologist. I don't know where to reasurch Stevr ori at forgetten realm. Thanks for any help you can provide.
marty

[wilomn]

I'm not saying your vet is bad, I don't know if he is.

You went on a recommendation. Cool, but who recommended him? Nevermind, that is of no consequence for the moment.

If you lose another one, don't freeze it, put it in the refrigerator until it goes to the vet.

Ask him if he is up on the Paramyxo virus and tests for it.

Register at www.faunaclassifieds.com.

Go to the search function and enter steve ori and/or forgotten realms.

[The Cleaner]

Has anyone had any dealings with this nasty stuff? I believe I may have a few ball pythons that may have it. I do have them QT. Some have been to the vets(a good one) and I have had 2 of them die in the last 2 Months.
HELP US PLEASE.
Marty

I got an emerald tree boa a few years back from Tim Bowles currently of Snowballs Ball Pythons and that animal had it. I was lucky enough to open the package in my driveway to show my UPS guy and saw the animal was almost dead so it never entered my collection.

The snake was very emaciated looking in the first half of the body and it's head was sunken in. The last half of the body was bloated because he injected it with saline solution to make it appear filled out so I couldn't say that it was as emaciated looking as the front half. She declined very quickly and it was very sad to see such a beautiful animal go.

A necropsy was performed and the University in Gainsville Florida came back with paramyxovirus. The lungs were bloody, the animal had septicemia, coccidia, liver failure, and a bunch of other stuff too. They are the number one facility to go to for this disease and they know their stuff.

This is what Paramyxovirus can do to a perfectly healthy animal.

Before


After

[Scatterheart]

I believe Paramyxo can only be identified by a liver biopsy, which can be falsely negative or by necropsy, which is 100% yes or no.

This is really unfortunate, because I know in human medicine most viruses can be grown and identified just from swabs (patient still alive, mind you). Animal medicine lags behind in so many ways, especially exotics. I guess there's no routine method that vets can access to identify reptile viruses - researchers are able to grow and identify them, however. Which is so very frustrating for people in this type of situation.

Good luck and my sympathies to you - Paramyxoviruses spread like wildfire, just like others in this thread have mentioned!

(And sorry for the mostly useless post, virology is one of the subjects I love to nerd out about!)