# ASN Quarantine and Medical Protocols



## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

The following are the Quarantine and Medical Protocols as contained in the ASN handbook. The protocols were adapted from the IUCN Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG). These guidelines, in addition to the _Amphibian Ex Situ Conservation Planning Workshop Final Report_ (1), can be found in the ASN handbook (Section 3, pages 25-29).

*Quarantine and Medical Protocols *

*Adopted Standards *
Quarantine standards were drafted by the CBSG/WAZA Amphibian Ex Situ Conservation Planning Workshop held in El Valle, Panama 20068. These standards adopt tough guidelines necessary to prevent transmission of disease to wild amphibian populations. ASN stewards are required to meet Quarantine 3 (Ex situ out-of-range for display, research, education, with no possibility of return to the wild in range country) standards and are encouraged to adopt as many of the higher standard protocols as possible. These standards are reprinted at the end of this section. Because most private stewards maintain cosmopolitan collections, it will be difficult or impossible for most stewards to follow the stringent isolation protocols required to meet Quarantine 1 and 2 standards for animals intended for release to the wild. When warranted by need, ASN will work with professional species management authorities to develop quarantine protocols on a case by case basis. 

*General Guidelines* 
The following general guidelines should be followed to minimize the risk of introducing disease and cross-contamination in the steward’s general collection.

_Hygiene _
All amphibian tanks must be treated as discreet ecosystems and you must ensure that there is no exchange whatsoever between them. Even insects should not be able to escape and enter new tanks as they could be disease vectors. Make sure you always thoroughly wash you hands with soap and water for 15 seconds after putting them in a vivarium, and never transfer plants, substrate or decorating materials between tanks that have not been thoroughly disinfected. If anything has been in a tank that has suffered catastrophic losses, the plants and furniture should be discarded. When servicing vivaria, always service new acquisitions or diseased animals last to avoiding contamination of healthy animals. To maintain compliance with the Husbandry 2 standard, maintain a consistent directional flow of routine during maintenance and feeding (See Section 2: General Husbandry). 

_Disinfection _
If you do plan to reuse vivarium materials, a 10% bleach solution can be used to topically disinfect tank items, but a newly found and likely safer and more effective method is to spray surfaces with separate solutions (do not mix them together prior to spraying on the surface) of hydrogen peroxide, 3% which is over the counter strength, in conjunction with household vinegar (5% acetic acid) followed by a rinse with tap water. Note that hydrogen peroxide rapidly breaks down in the presence of light and must be stored in an opaque container in a dark place. More information on this method can be found at http://www.michaelandjudystouffer.com/j ... inegar.htm

Using Household Bleach as a Disinfectant 
IMPORTANT: Organic debris such as feces and dirt will rapidly inactivate the bleach solution, so all surfaces should be clean before you begin the disinfectant process. Also, the diluted bleach solution is very short lived. It’s half life (the time required for 50% reduction in strength) is two hours. 

If you plan to use bleach as a disinfectant, it should be diluted to ¾ cup of regular, non-scented bleach to 1 gallon of tap water, or a 1:10 ratio of bleach to water. 

Hard, non-porous surfaces should be wiped down with the bleach solution, allowed to sit for 10 minutes, then rinsed with plain water and allowed to dry. 

Plant materials can also be sterilized with the 1:10 dilution of regular household bleach, however since soil inactivates the sodium hypochlorite (the effective ingredient) in bleach, the leaves and roots must be thoroughly washed prior to disinfecting. Plant material should be soaked for 30 minutes, rinsed, and allowed to dry before using. Some plants may be damaged or killed by the bleach solution. 

_Quarantine Procedures _
The spread of infectious disease is a serious concern whenever multiple groups of animals are housed in the same facility. All animals should be isolated for a period of time before being introduced to their tank mates, or in some cases, even the area of the facility where other animals live. New acquisitions may harbor disease and should be isolated from other animals in your collection . New or sick animals should be held in quarantine for at least a period of 45 days, but up to 3 months would be ideal. 
A quarantine setup should not suggest that they must be in a bare, sterile box. This can cause physical and emotional stress on the animals and if they did harbor pathogen(s), allow them to overtake their immune capacity. Quarantine tanks should provide cover, warmth, hiding/sleeping spots, water and plenty of food. They should also be away from household activity that could cause undue stress to the animals as they get acclimated to captivity. If possible, quarantine tanks should be kept in a different room or building from other amphibians and quarantine enclosures should always be serviced last when making daily rounds. 
Animals managed under Category 3-4 standards should, at a minimum, be quarantined in a separate room or approved isolation chamber for 90 days prior to moving them in with a cosmopolitan collection. As previously mentioned, Category 4, specimens may require additional quarantine protocols such as long term maintenance in isolation from a cosmopolitan population. 
The new food sources that you provide may also provide difficulty to the animals. Be prepared to alter what and how often you feed, and possibly limit supplementation until you feel that they are accustomed to their new diet. 

_Disease testing and treatment_
All stewards should ensure that amphibians managed in ASN are adequately screened for disease and treated as warranted. Development of specific veterinary care standards was deferred by the CBSG/WAZA Amphibian Ex Situ Conservation Planning Workshop held in El Valle, Panama 2006. When those standards become available, the ASN committee will review them for possible adoption. Pending the adoption of such standards, stewards are encouraged to seek the advice of a veterinarian qualified in amphibian medicine if any of their animals display symptoms of illness or disease. Stewards should also consider performing routine screening through fecal exams to establish a baseline and provide early detection of diseases warranting treatment. Finally, stewards are strongly encouraged to obtain a copy of Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry (Whitaker & Wright, 2001) to serve as a reference for amphibian health related issues.

1. Zippel, K., R. Lacy, and O. Byers (eds.) 2006. CBSG/WAZA Amphibian Ex Situ Conservation Planning Workshop Final Report. IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Apple Valley, MN 55124, USA.


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## UmbraSprite (Mar 2, 2007)

Thanks!

I was just digging around for this after replying to your PM.


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## Rich Frye (Nov 25, 2007)

Could we add this to something in the beiginner's section? Many beginners don't ever think of looking here until there are already issues with their frogs. A sticky there also should do the trick. I belive not setting up proper quarantine is one of the biggest beginner issues out there. Maybe one of the biggest period. 

Rich


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

I added it to the Good Threads to read for beginners thread in the beginner's section. That thread has gotten a lot of views - so it would seem that newcomers are looking at it. If not, we can add it as a separate sticky.


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## Knighty (Jul 22, 2009)

would be nice to also see a list and symptons of different illnesses and parasites


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## Otis (Apr 16, 2006)

knighty said:


> would be nice to also see a list and symptons of different illnesses and parasites


There is so much that can go wrong it would be pretty time consuming for someone to make anything close to a complete list here. 

Dr. Kevin Wright has some basic parasite information, there are also a few other amphibian articles towards the bottom.


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## tclipse (Sep 19, 2009)

"The spread of infectious disease is a serious concern whenever multiple groups of animals are housed in the same facility. All animals should be isolated for a period of time before being introduced *to their tank mates*, or in some cases, even the area of the facility *where other animals live*. New acquisitions may harbor disease and should be isolated* from other animals in your collection* . New or sick animals should be held in quarantine for at least a period of 45 days, but up to 3 months would be ideal. "

I feel like the bolded parts are a bit misleading, as I have read elsewhere that quarantine is necessary even when a brand new, "virgin" viv is used, in order to keep the new acquisitions from introducing anything to the environment (to prevent a complete rebuild if chytrid etc. is introduced)... at least until a few rounds of fecals have been done. I've been doing research for two months and got confused on this, and realized the proper procedure too late... my new galacts have already been in their new 125G tank for two days. 

I have taken them out to at least collect sterile samples and send them in.. ugh. I've been keeping exotic fish for years and this slammed a huge NOOB stamp on my forehead all over again. I'm optimistic as the frogs appear to be in pristine health, and the vendor (Regal Reptiles) was both knowledgeable and seemed to provide good care for the animals.. but my god would I feel like an idiot if they did have something. 

On the bright side, I did know beforehand that galacts are originally from Brazil, meaning that those being sold in the industry are most likely CB.. comforting, somewhat. Also, after reading around the vendor I bought from seems to have great standing around here. HUGE relief there. Obviously, no offense intended to (Troy?) or anyone else from there. If you're reading, the service was on point and the frogs appear to be in great shape. I'm just a worried beginner looking out for my frogs and my investment in time/money in my viv.

Anyways, I think a note should be added to the Beginner FAQ or to this thread (or both) to clarify that you should probably go with QT procedures regardless of the prior existence of animals in the enclosure... or AT THE VERY LEAST check with the vendors you are buying from regarding fecal testing (on the parents or otherwise), etc.. I honestly didn't think to ask during my purchase, and that info would make me feel much more comfortable right now. 

I feel like making this known could not only result in beginners buying/keeping healthier frogs, but could also place more pressure on any vendors that don't test their frogs to do so. 

I'm sure I'm just obsessing and freaking out a little too much like I tend to do with the care of my animals. If I am, feel free to let me know. Thanks


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