Originally discovered infecting a frog, Ranavirus is now known to be able to infect a variety of amphibians, as well as fish and reptiles! There are many different strains of Ranavirus of varying maliciousness. Some strains will kill amphibians outright, while others simply infect the animals without showing symptoms or causing any apparent problems. Others infect the animals and cause symptoms, such as open sores or apparent wounds, to pop up from time to time, only to vanish. An animal infected with Ranavirus cannot be cured, but secondary infections resulting from open wounds or lesions can be treated. It is possible for infected frogs to breed and produce offspring that are not infected with Ranavirus.
Quarantine is an important first step in protecting yourself from Ranavirus. Animals should be quarantined from 60-90 days and tested for Ranavirus, if there is a possibility that the new animals may have the disease. If an infected animal has come in contact with a surface, it can be disinfected with a 5% bleach solution or Josh's Frogs ReptiSan. Let the solution sit on the surface for 1 minute or longer before rinsing and drying the surface.
To test for Ranavirus, swab the moist skin of your amphibian, then send the swab to a lab for analysis. For more information, check out this article on how to swab for a Chytrid or Ranavirus test.
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