All about quarantine.
HerpVet, Dr Joshua Llinas, explains why
quarantine is so important for reptile keepers.
With all the talk about viruses and other infectious
diseases in our captive reptile populations, I thought it
would be good timing to put an article out on quarantine.
What is it, why do it and how is it achieved?
What is quarantine?
Whether it is a group of snakes or a group of people, the
concept of quarantine is the same. The goal is to separate
and stop the movement of individuals that have been
exposed to or may have potentially been exposed to
pathogens, to see if they become sick before they are
mixed with the general population. This means that once
an animal or group of animals is quarantined, no new
animals should be added to that area.
How to set up a quarantine area.
The most effective way to set up a quarantine area is to
keep the individual(s) concerned in a completely differ-
ent location. This means having a separate facility off-
site, with no other reptiles around. Anyone entering the
area should not have had prior contact with any other
reptiles. All clothes and materials should be kept on-site
and not used for any other purpose aside from managing
the individual(s) in quarantine. Protective clothing should
be worn and disinfectant foot baths are recommended on
entry and exit.
This may seem a little daunting to private keepers with
limited resources. If a separate facility is not available, an
area as far as possible from the main collection is recom-
mended. The same guidelines used for an off-site facility
should be adhered to. However, in addition it is advisable
to have separate ventilation to minimise the risk of
spreading airborne and aerosolised infectious diseases.
If other animals require attending to, this should be
done prior to having anything to do with the quarantined
animals. Proper precautions such as showering and
changing clothes should also be considered.
How should I equip my quarantine area?
The quarantine room should be kept as simple as possi-
ble. Use enclosures that are simple to clean and which
have minimal fomites. A fomite is any object that can be
contaminated and potentially aid in the spread of infec-
tion. Similarly, furniture in the room should be kept to a
minimum and floors and walls should also be easy to
clean. Have a complete additional set of utensils for
cleaning, feeding and medicating each individual. Where
possible, use items that are disposable (i.e. hides, feed
bowls, water bowls). Non-porous materials such as those
made from plastic are ideal as they are easier to clean and
disinfect if they become soiled with faeces or urates.
A disinfectant that works on all manner of infectious
organisms is recommended. The choice should be based
on the efficacy, ease of use and safety profile. F10 prod-
ucts are currently used in our practice due to the ability to
disinfect against the majority of viruses, fungi, bacteria
and protozoa commonly encountered in reptile veterinary
practices. It is important to thoroughly clean an area prior
to using disinfectant, as organic material such as, faeces,
urates and foodstuffs renders them ineffective. Regard-
less of the type of disinfectant used, read all labels care-
fully for safety and usage instructions to ensure it is
applied properly, at the correct concentration and for the
Left and above right:
Some snakes and lizards
have been testing
positive for dangerous
viruses for years with-
out showing any signs of
disease.
Images by H. Krisp and
Alexandru Panoiu .
(https://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/3.0/deed.en and
https://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/2.0/deed.en).
Source: Creative Commons.