i just wondered if anybody else had heard about this?? apparently its been confirmed that there is an epidemic of herpes in imported tortoises. the poor little buggers have supposedly been sold by the tortoise mail order companies when they were knowingly infected with herpes. I have no idea whether the epidemic is as bad as its being made out ( the actual illness is devestating) but i think its something everybody should be aware of.

this is the link that Ed posted a few weeks ago Tortoise Herpesvirus Infection
lists the sypmtoms etc, but its not for the faint hearted.

anybody else got any more info on these stories?? and any quotable sources with vet references??

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my bright red hair is very SHORT........where did it go!

Something popped up on the TT yahoo group yesterday. Apparently a tortoise purchased from an online dealer in Wales died of Herpes. I would say it's bad science to suggest all imported tortoises are infected by I would have though some might be.

This is something that's been suspected and talked about for a while but there is now a vet confirmed case. There's a quote from the vet on the TT yahoo group - maybe Tams will post it for the people on here to read who don't read the TT digests?

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There is also a Vet in the North West who is diagnosing everything in Tortoises as Herpes. Ive met another person on the TT yahoo group who went to the same vet as me and was diagnosed wrongly, and they no somebody who went to the same vet etc.... Balders was just a bit dehydrated....

I doubt all imports are sick, but I will keep an open mind till I see evidence the synic in me would say that this is a good way to stop people buying legal EU imports by sprending rumours. not that I am saying they are of course!

I would agree with this. A deep breath needs to be taken. One swallow does'nt make a summer (or one infected tortoise does'nt make an epidemic). That being said I recently heard about an imported tortoise (hermanns) dying 2 weeks after sale & a collegues sister brought 3 (again imported hermann's) last year - only 1 is still alive. I don't know what they died of but it makes you think...........

I don't think anyone is claiming that it's ALL imports but could be a high number of them.

The problem with anything reported about tortoises at the moment is that so many people think it's scaremongering when it seems (to me anyway) just passing on information that people may want to be aware of.

Maybe I'm not quite so cynical.


The species quoted as having the problem are horsfields and hermanns so who knows.

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from the correspondeance i have read it seems that one certain supplier has knowingly sold infected animals and when the customer has phoned up to complain his new tortoise is ill, the shop has said that they will only get a refund or exchange as long as the animal has not been to a vet. if it HAS been to a vet then all gaurantees are null and void.

i am in two minds, i have to say. it is logical that intensley farmed animals are more prone to illness from stress, overcrowding etc. but if diseased animals were being shipped to this country from the EU, wouldnt defra have soemthing to say about that? and does this mean that all slovenian or farmed imports will be euthanised instead of rescued?

i geuss ultimatley if it raises awareness of herpes and we all get a better understanding of the symptoms etc then its a good thing. but i hope alot of the newer people arent scared into unnecessary vets bills for tests that they dont need.

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my bright red hair is very SHORT........where did it go!

The person in this confirmed case (confirmed by autopsy) was told by the supplier NOT to go to the vet.

Unfortunately the tests aren't 100% reliable and the virus is usually diagnosed on combination of symptoms so new owners can't just purchase, trip off to the vet and find out like they can in the case of parasites. A tortoise can carry the virus with no symptoms for a long time (up to 10 years) so a carrier could be introduced into an established group and spread the virus further.

I don't really see how DEFRA could do anything on just one confirmed case. Let's hope it either stays at that one confirmed case or that other cases are reported by owners and vets so something can be done.

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i agree tina, how would defra react to ONE case? its unrealsitic. but as its only ONE case, why is this being labelled an epidemic? I personlly will withold judgement until the vets report is made public and more information is available. i have always monitored my torts for signs of illness, with weekly weighings, fecal checks and mout, vent, skin and shell inspections. hopefully anybody noticing any signs of illness will be picked up before its too late.

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my bright red hair is very SHORT........where did it go!