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IBD an Issue with Corn Snakes????

madamwlf

madamwlf

New member
I just found out the corn snake I have coming in today is from someone who is selling Boas with IBD. My question is do Corn Snakes carry IBD and can the transfer it? I have several boas in my collection and do not wish to them to be infected. I do plan to quarantine her since she is a new arrival. I want to make sure she is completely healthy but I'm not so sure she is now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Jeannie
 
ouch,

I have not heard of any cases of IBD in colubrids, I think it is solely a boid disease. However, it is unknown whether non-boid snakes can harbor the disease.

The exact route of transmission has not been identified. Obviously direct contact, but one suspicion that is of concern to you is that it may by transmitted on snake mites.

If you are buying from someone who has IBD boas, then you need to be super careful that the snake you receive doesn't have mites which could transfer the IBD to your boas.

To be completely and utterly honest with you I would refuse to accept the animal even if it means losing the money you have paid for it. But that is your choice.

Quarantine in a separate room with very very strict hygiene for 6 months,
 
Well, I just received her and she has no mites on her. She went straight into qurantine in a separate room away from the other snakes. I sure hope nothing happens with the rest of my snakes. I have so much time and effort invested in them.
 
good luck and be stricter than you have ever been on the quarantine issue. Never go in to the new room until you have finished with the old room for the day. I would buy disposable latex gloves for handling the new one. Have all separate equipment e.g. water bowls, feeding tongs etc. Don't handle the new one and then go back to the established collection even if you have washed hands in between. Change clothes if necessary.
Great that no mites are present - you should be fine - it is just best to be safe now rather than sorry later,
 
madamwlf,

Man, you're quite the risk taker. For those who don't know, IBD (inclusive body disease) is an non curable 100% fatal disease for boids (Boas and Pythons) but not colubrids like corn snakes. I think of it as AIDS for boids. As I understand it, it hits Ball Pythons hard and fast often killing them within 30 days or so. Boas on the other hand are more difficult to diagnose and will not be affected as quickly after they've been exposed. I would follow Skyes advice to the letter. I would also increase the quarantine period to something like 4-6 months if it were my animal.

Just my two cents. Good luck and I hope everything goes well for you.


Jason
 
Dooh, I thought it was irritable bowel disorder *sp* wow nasty, hope it works our ok
 
If a corn snake is a carrier of the disease, would it still be around in 6 months or so, after the quarantine? Wouldn't that still be a bit of a problem? I mean, I don't know a whole lot about this kind of thing, but I know people can carry diseases for years and pass it on to someone else who is more vulnerable to it. No amount of quaranteen can affect that.
 
Unfortunately Victoria, not enough is yet known about this relatively new disease of boids. It could be that colubrids never get infected, but it could also be the case that they are asymptomatic carriers and need to always remain in quarantine. More money is needed to fund the research.

For those that haven't heard about IBD and have or are thinking about getting a boa or python, here is a very good link to explain a little more about the disease.

And another , and finally one herpers experience with the disease .
 
Skye said:
ouch,

I have not heard of any cases of IBD in colubrids, I think it is solely a boid disease. However, it is unknown whether non-boid snakes can harbor the disease.
Click to expand...

I am not trying to be a smart @ss here but some venemous collections have been destroyed by IBD aswell. Rattlesnakes are very subsceptable (sp?) to IDB.
 
Oh and... In the early 90's I had a Burmese die on me infected with IBD. I brought in a Boa which was a carrier. None of my colubrids had any problems. Phytons never will know what hit them because it took only 14 days for my Burmese.. Decease from hell if you ask me.
 
Thank you for the additional information Marcel - it is always good if we can all learn more fom each other. I am very sorry to hear that you have had personal experience of IBD. Did your carrier boa die too?
 
I sold her to someone who could have her quarantine the rest of her life. I haven't had any contact since but she has always been a very healthy Boa.
 
Whoa o_O I never heard from IBD before, but if i read these comments and follow the links i would quickly send the snake back where it came from and ask your money back. This is a risk i would not be willing to take. Not only for the sake of your other snakes, but if it's indeed incurable ...
 
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