Hi Snakelady!
THE BAD NEWS ----
That tiny cryptosporidium bug you're talking about is way tougher than
it looks. Like all the other species of crypto, cryptosporidium
serpentis is hard to kill because its oocyte stage is virtually
impermeable to chemicals and drugs. Nothing is guaranteed to eliminate
cryptosporidium "for sure."
THE GOOD NEWS ---
If anything is going to have even a mild effect on the crypto, it will
be your Roccal. It seems that crypto may be at least a little bit
susceptible to quaternary ammonia based compounds, which includes
Roccal.
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
Quaternary ammonium (QA) disinfectants contain NH4. The labels often
list a form of ammonium chloride (AC) such as alkyl aryl, benzyl,
didecyl, dimethyl, ethylbenzyl, octyl or a combination of different
AC. Benziconium chloride (BC) is a more tissue friendly QA than AC. …
QA disinfectants include Roccal, Quats, Lysoquat, Multi-Quat, TKO,
Utmost, D-128 and Zephiran.
Summary:
1.Wide germicidal range, noncorrosive and low toxicity.
2.Reduced efficiency and residual activity in the presence of
organic matter.
3.Not sporicidal, effective against vegetative bacteria, fungi and
viruses, some activity against Cryptosporidium (10 percent Ammonium).
4.Limited effectiveness in soaps, detergents and hard water salts.
5.Good disinfectant for use on cleaned surfaces and low cost.
http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/animaldisease/g1410.htm
MORE INFORMATION -----
It appears that the only real key to success in containing this
infection is through prevention. Isolation of infected and new
animals, fastidious husbandry, reduce crowding and stress, and
maintaining all animals in optimal health so that their immune systems
are strong enough to fight off infection.
This parasitic disease can not be spread to humans and that the
organism that affects reptiles does not come from mammals. Current
treatment practices involve collecting fecal samples for analysis or
doing stomach washes. … Dr. Cranfield stressed the importance of
proper husbandry practices to include the cleaning of water bowls and
avoiding cross contamination. Antibiotic treatment is available for
specimens that have the parasite and many researchers feel that
treatment success is very good.
http://www.reptileinfo.com/herpsoc/ht6.html
Geckos --
Neither the literature nor reptile handlers have clarified the
clinical nature of cryptosporidiosis in geckos. It does appear,
however, that the clinical course of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in
reptiles is markedly different from that in mammals and birds.
Infection in reptiles has been reported as chronic in nature, with
infection of the gastric mucosa, upper intestinal tract, or colon,
accompanied by anorexia and progressive weight loss …. There is no
known treatment for cryptosporidiosis.
http://www.labanimal.com/col/diag0299.htm
Emerald tree boas ---
As far as parasites go, Cryptosporidium serpentis is one of the true
nasties in emerald herpetoculture. … The sad thing is that there is no
known cure for Cryptosporidium as of now and treament can only be
taken to try to decrease its effects. One possible solution is to try
to outcompete the parasite with intestinal bacteria (see probiotics).
Cryptosporidium is most commonly found in freshly wild-caught emerald
tree boas. These snakes are usually thin and stressed from the
shipment and are commonly kept together in large enclosures. This
leads to sub-optimal conditions further suppressing the immune system
and because there are many snakes in an enclosure, it allows easy mass
infections.
http://www.corallus.com/caninus/husbandry.html
Massasauga Rattler ----
Cryptosporidium is highly resistant to drugs and chemicals, and there
is no definitive cure for the disease. Control in the captive
environment depends on adequate screening of new animals during
quarantine, using special staining techniques on weekly faecal
samples. An animal which is positive should not be introduced to an
established group.
http://www.brocku.ca/envi/jm/massasauga%20old/Captive%20Management%20Recommendations.pdf
So, that's the story. There are no guarantees when it comes to killing
off cryptosporidium serpentis. You just have to do your best to
prevent infection and contain it if you already have it in your
population.
I hope the information and associated links I've provided are clear.
If not, please feel free to ask for a clarification.
Good luck with your snakes!
--K~
Search terms:
Cryptosporidium Roccal
Cryptosporidium reptiles
Cryptosporidium serpentis
Cryptosporidium serpentis treatment |
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