Alert!!! Systematic adenovirus infection in torts!!

[sibi]

I've been meaning to advise all our members who own torts about this dangerious virus for a month. I received a study from a doctor of zoology medicine, and there is an adenovirus infection found in Sulawesi tortoises. The fear is that this virus can spread to all torts. Symptoms include anorexia, lethargy, mucosal ulcerations a d palatine erosions of the oral cavity, nasal and ocular discharge, and diarrhea. If your tort have any combination of these symptoms, see a good tort vet asap. There is a test to verify this Infection, but your vet needs to test specifically for it or else it can be missed. I will send a PDF file of the report to those who are interested. [/i]

 

[wellington]

Thanks for the warning.

 

[Katherine]

Hmmm I had read an article about a bunch of TSA's forsteni turning up positive for an adenovirus they hypothesized had made a recent species jump from an avian strain but that was years ago now. If you have any current studies I would love a link or article name so I can find them. I pmed you my email address just incase, thank you!

 

[Baoh]

Beyond diagnosis, what is to be done? There are no treatments for the illness and treatments for the symptoms, which is all a vet can really be expected to do in this case, are only so-so.

 

[Yellow Turtle]

So, same question with Katherine, is this old study or recent find? Since I'm going to have at least 3 forstenii in care. If this caused by virus, then it will easily jump to my other torts. And is there really no treatment for this symptom?

 

[Baoh]

So, same question with Katherine, is this old study or recent find? Since I'm going to have at least 3 forstenii in care. If this caused by virus, then it will easily jump to my other torts. And is there really no treatment for this symptom?

There are treatments for the symptoms involved with adenoviral infections, but not the illness/pathogen, and the treatments for the symptoms are not exactly strong measures, with more options existing for mammals than can be made useful for reptiles.

Really, I doubt there is too much a vet can do if an infection occurs. They might be able to give you antibiotics to treat secondary infections and perhaps give something like IV fluids, but there is not a whole lot else to be done. Antipyretics, for what should be obvious reasons, would not apply.

 

[Yellow Turtle]

Yes Baoh, thanks for the explanation. I just google it and found that the latest infection occured several months ago to impressa and burmese tortoise, where the owner housed the seemingly infected forstenii from 3 years ago.

Well, I will treat this as a challenge to keep the torts in good condition to minimize virus infection.

 

[Baoh]

Unless your animals have it or get exposed to an animal that has it, there should be little to worry about.

 

[mattgrizzlybear]

What kind of tort gets it? Or do all kinds can get it?

 

[Yellow Turtle]

I see my forstenii is healthy, only somehow he defecated some small tiny worms (1.5 - 2 mm) this morning. I don't know whether that's due to I fed him with some pumpkin seeds yesterday or it's just his natural immune system kicking the parasites out of his body.

---

What kind of tort gets it? Or do all kinds can get it?

From the report, burmese and impressa got infected. They seem to be able to infect all species.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

http://vdi.sagepub.com/content/21/4/415.full.pdf+html

From a 2009 publication. Was that so difficult to post the reference? No, one copy, one paste.

Quarantine, keep species separate, and have a bio-security protocol (or rule if you like). This suite of practices will, if effectively followed be 100% good to make this not an issue, from infected animals to non-infected. If another individual gets it, then you were not 100%. It is very difficult to be 100%.

Use latex or nitrile gloves when handling animals or their stuff. Wash the gloved hands from same groups, but different individuals, change gloves when going to a different group. Remove gloves by inverting as you take them off. If you have walk-in enclosures, use a spray bottle of ammonia (outside) on the soles of your shoes.

So, I know most zoo's don't do any/all this, but ALL animal labs do, as well as most production agricultural settings, where the millions $$ invested is not worth the loss of a study or cohort for harvest, based on sloppy hygiene. It is what professional do. Don't let sloppy pet-shop techniques or what you see at trade shows influence your own bio-security practices.

Will

 

[sibi]

This is a recent study done by a doctor at the university. Because I have a rescue that was in such bad shape, I obviously had concerns. It was then that I was asked if baby Runt was tested for this. I got the impression that it can be treated but the outcome depends on the severity of the health condition of the tort.

 

[Baoh]

You cannot treat the root cause. Only symptoms secondary to the primary illness. Will's advice of having a preventative hygiene protocol in place is sound.

 

[sibi]

Oh I agree. This virus invades the DNA, if I'm reading his report correctly; thu, it cannot be cured. Treatment is on secondary infections,if even. It is why Baby runt was separated from my other torts when I received him, just in case.

 

[ascott]

Was that so difficult to post the reference?

No, one copy, one paste.

Politeness goes a long way....

b : marked by an appearance of consideration, tact, deference, or courtesy
c : marked by a lack of roughness or crudities <polite literature>

Have a wonderful day

 

[sibi]

Btw, that's not the report I'm referring to. I asked if anyone wanted a copy of the report /study, u can pm me or ask me for it.

http://vdi.sagepub.com/content/21/4/415.full.pdf+html

From a 2009 publication. Was that so difficult to post the reference? No, one copy, one paste.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Btw, that's not the report I'm referring to. I asked if anyone wanted a copy of the report /study, u can pm me or ask me for it.

http://vdi.sagepub.com/content/21/4/415.full.pdf+html

From a 2009 publication. Was that so difficult to post the reference? No, one copy, one paste.

Please consider that I am asking.

Will