Thought some of ya might find this interesting. Looks like West Nile
isn't just in humans, horses and birds. This disturbs me greatly as I do
so love the Gator.
cya,
Howard (even these folks from Idaho are blaming it all on
Florida)
Alligator Farming and Diagnosis of West Nile Virus Infection
- -------------------------------------------------- I would like to clarify
the comments about West Nile virus (WNV) in Idaho. There is indeed a
commercial alligator (_Alligator mississippiensis_) ranch in Idaho. This
ranch obtained hatchling (approx. 1 month old) alligators from a farm in
Florida. Since Idaho was a "WNV-free" state we believe these animals were
infected in Florida prior to shipment. However this will become more clear
as we learn more about the incubation period of WNV in
alligators.
These animals are not intended for the pet trade, as was
suggested. If anything, the spectacled caiman (_Caiman crocodilus_) is a more
popular species because of their smaller size. Crocodilian species represent
only a small fraction of reptiles in the pet trade, and we encourage
people not to keep them as pets. This is a commercial operation that
raises them to market size for the hide and meat markets.
Clinical
signs in these animals were similar to those observed in other cases of WNV
in Louisiana and Florida. These include swimming in circles, head tilt,
muscle tremors, and anorexia as evidenced by lack of ingesta and digesta
on necropsy. Mortalities were near 40 percent. A total of 8 animals were
tested at LSU from this particular ranch in Idaho. All 8 were positive
for WNV via RT-PCR and virus culture.
The owner of the ranch acted in a
very responsible manner by contacting the local agricultural and health
agencies upon the diagnosis. Depopulation of the affected building was
recommended, and to the best of my knowledge this was performed. This
recommendation was made based on the WNV status of Idaho and it is not
recommended in states were WNV is already present.
In Louisiana we have
distributed educational information concerning WNV and prevention methods
to all alligator farmers/ranchers. The zoonotic potential appears to be
real, since we suspect that alligators can get high viremias and shed
the virus in the feces. However this is all ongoing work that has not been
published. The human population at risk as are those alligator
ranchers/farmers and their workers. They have all been made aware of the
situation. We have combined the efforts ofveterinarians, wild-life
biologists, state health officials, and mosquito control agencies to
address this issue at the alligator farms.
If there are any more
questions, I urge you to contact those of us who have been actively
involved in the diagnosis of WNV in alligators. This has been done in
Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia. It is important that we present facts
and not speculations that may negatively affect the reptile and alligator
industry. We are well aware of the concerns towards human health,
but this industry also represents the livelihood of many individuals.
-
-- Javier G. Nevarez DVM LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary
Clinical Science Instructor Zoo-Med Skip Bertman Dr. Baton Rouge, LA
70803 <JNevarez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
