KSB - do they get IBD?

[stormwulf133]

I have heard that certain boas have never been recorded as getting IBD or being unlikely to have it. I am wanting to add another sand boa to my collection, but am deathly afraid of IBD due to my ball pythons. What do you all think?

[OhBalls]

I believe all boids are at risk

[ohyeahnow]

In the book Reptiles, Amphibians, and Invertebrates By Patricia Pope Bartlett, Billy Griswold, Richard D. Bartlett, they list Inclusion body disease as a possible problem for the Kenyan Sand Boa. They also say all boas and pythons are succesptable. There are other retroviruses that have been found in different snake species. I have not read any articles specifically studying cases of IBD or other retroviruses in the Kenyan Sand Boa. IMO not enough is known about IBD at this time, and many answers are speculative at best.

If you decide to add this snake, I would suggest a longer than normal quarantine. You can also have a live snake tested for IBD. This would be the safest way, but costly. As many have discussed here people do succesfully keep boas and pythons. The biggest risk in adding new boas is the fact that there are reports of boas being asymptomatic for long periods of time.

[Skiploder]

http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1193548,1195199

Second hand info - take it for what it's worth.

[Hardwikk]

Does this mean my Boid (which is a KSB) is succeptable to a Boid-exclusive disease? Not that I'm worrying about it.

[JimiSnakes]

Yes, highly doubtful. But every snake has a chance of carrying it. This is why quarantine is so important.

[RichardA]

According to my herp vet.....which does some of these studies and such, KSB are one of the only boids that to date are not effected in any way.

[ohyeahnow]

If you have a large collection it might be worth having the snake tested if you do decide to get the Kenyan sand boa. In all the articles I have read, none were on the KSB. The journal articles also state it is a disease that can be carried by boids, boids who are asymptomatic.

[Hardwikk]

That's a good thing to hear that my KSB won't get it.

[Hardwikk]

If you have a large collection it might be worth having the snake tested if you do decide to get the Kenyan sand boa. In all the articles I have read, none were on the KSB. The journal articles also state it is a disease that can be carried by boids, boids who are asymptomatic.

What does asymptomatic mean?