WTF virus update(pics)

[Vayu Son]

hi guys. This is the recent development with my P.ornata(one of many with some strange affliction). I am stumped. any clues what the hell this means? It is still twitching so I have opted not to euthanize it yet.

some history: a few weeks ago a few specimens started to lose muscle control and have seizures... they were all moved to icu's and seperated from the main group.

Thanks.

-V

 

[Botar]

I had a C. thorelli sling die a few months back that seemed to lose muscle control. When moving, it appeared intoxicated. However, it died upright.

I was never able to determine a cause of death and the symptoms did not spread to other T's. I had approximately 10 from the same egg sac and none of the others showed any similar afflictions.

Are your inflicted T's all P. ornata? Did they all come from the same source? Might be worth contacting the source to see if they've had any similar problems. Knowing whether or not the inflicted T's are related or from the same source may help in determining if it is spreading or isolated to a certain grouping.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Botar

 

[Vayu Son]

><

Hi. The first specimen to die was a G.rosea juvie, then a P.fasciata male. Then it spread to my fasciata female and this ornata as well as a G.rosea female. My P.striata is a likely candidate for it but im not entirely sure if shes cought it or not. I got the P.ornata from art certa, and it has been fine thus far. I doubt that is its origin.

-V

 

[Botar]

Well then, that is most troubling. I would have rather heard that you purchased a group of P. ornata that all showed the same signs. The thought of building a collection worth several thousand dollars and then losing it all to some illness makes me very nervous. I've had a scare with CM's "buttplug of doom" (got it right that time CM), but it was isoloated to one group of slings purchased from the same supplier. Since I know the supplier had no control over this, I won't bother naming any names. That kind of thing happens sometimes. The "buttplug of doom" has since been identified as a nematode problem. For those of you not up on the nematode issues, you may want to do a search on the T forum.

Botar

 

[Vayu Son]

><

A small fact that may or may not be coincidental is that all of the T's showing signs of this all have very well ventilated cages with no burrows(pet pals or 10 gallon enclosures).

The t's in spaghetti holders or jars or those with deep burrows have shown no sign of this yet, which makes me suspicious to say the least.

-V

 

[Botar]

Airborne... not a good discovery.

I hope you can ID the problem. See if you can find someone to do somekind of work on one of the infected T's. The people doing the nematode work might be of some help.

Botar

 

[Vayu Son]

><

Yeah. I definately want to see what happens with this ornata as it is not yet dead, just comatose with whatever fluid is bubbled up from its mouth.

If it dies then most likely kerry will be getting a load of euthanized t's.

-V

 

[Malhavoc's]

Airborn pesticides?

 

[Vayu Son]

><

To my knowledge there has not been a spray here recently. Also I imagine with a pesticide the problem would come all at once instead of manifesting in a new t every 3 days or so.

-V

 

[Frostbyte]

This maybe way off tract ... but what have you been feeding the Ts? Maybe if it were crickets .. the food source could be contaminated ? Just an idea ... Sorry 2 hear that though !

 

[Malhavoc's]

I am far from up to date on nematodes but I know pesticides have simmilair effects and if it was airborn it would spred to the better ventalated Ts first but your right I dont think there would be such a gap

 

[Vayu Son]

><

Hi. Thats a no go. The G.rosea it manifested in was on a fast, while the others had different eating schedules.

-V

 

[conipto]

V -

Near leg IV on the Right side of the T (Left looking upside down) is that some kind of puncture?


How long ago did you get this ornata?

Bill

 

[rknralf]

I know here in South Eastern Virginia they regularly spray for mosquitos in the summer as we have a large population of tiger mosquitos. Could it possibly be something similar where they may have sprayed in your area and it somehow got sucked into the ventilation?

Also, I am really sorry to see your tarantulas in that condition. I really hope you find the culprit. I'd be devestated if I lost my tarantulas to that.

 

[chuck]

i dont know where you keep your Ts, but i keep them in my bed room. and after a shower and when im dressing i keep my cologne and deodorant right near the tanks. i dont spray near the tanks, but do you? maybe something in one of those?

but then again, this looks more internal, with the foaming of the mouth. one person said about its food, how about its water? my friend just killed his fish b/c of clorine in the tap water.

 

[Immortal_sin]

Vayu...
the Het mac female I had that died had the EXACT same spastic-ness, and fluid..
here's a shot after she stopped moving, and I assumed she was dead.

EDIT: none of my other Ts have shown any signs of what she had, and her cage was also very well ventilated (pet pal on it's side).
She was in this condition for quite some time, probably about 2 months before she was not able to move around at all.

 

[esmoot]

I'm about to freak soon. I got a mature male from a local buy on a breeding loan last Saturday and he has shown no signs of wanting to breed when I placed him with the female. He has not eaten either. Today he went though the same thing including flipping over like he was molting. Now he is pretty much dead.

I have over $10,000 in t's so I hope it will be just the one. I sepatated the female he had been with just in case.

 

[looseyfur]

Originally posted by esmoot [/i
I have over $10,000 in t's so I hope it will be just the one. I sepatated the female he had been with just in case. [/B]

thus proving esmoot robs banks for a living.


seriously I have read something about this before... I could have sworn it was here...

boggle. why god why must my brain be a siv.

loosey

 

[Vayu Son]

><

I only use stick deodorant and no cologne so that theory is out the window but I appreciate you thinking on the subject.

I am familiar with the chemical imbalances of tap water and I have never used anything for my smaller animals except filtered spring water(comes in jugs, hooks up to the machine, you know the type).

Bill, Ive had the ornata for about 5 months and through 2-3 molts. I believe the fluid there is just a drip off from its mouth when I had to move the container(its in a dark warm drawer in its icu).

Holly, I outright reject the possibility of what happened to your H.mac and what is now happening to my T's to be coincidental. The position of the body and the fluid bubbling up is way too close in appearance and that creeps me out.

The ornata will definately go to kerry, but Im betting nothing shows up. Far too little is known about possible parasitic organisms or disease that tarantulas may be privy to... I wonder if volker or rick or martin has seen anything like this?

-V

 

[Vayu Son]

><

I am not too familiar with tarantula's internal structures, but with the Grammastola the spasticness went so far as their spinnerets(would randomly spray silk when freaking out). I suppose it is equally possible that the T flipped themselves over and randomly secreted venom. That would indicate that the problem may be with their nerves or glands, which would really make this one hell of an affliction to solve. Just a thought... in the meanwhile I am less than ecstatic about the probability of losing 4 Poecilotheria specimens(not to mention the others), but again I do appreciate everyones quick responses and thoughts.

-V