Viruses are a class of pathogens that can cause illness in susceptible populations. The vast majority of viruses are species specific and are non-zoonotic (not transmissible to humans or vice versa).

This disease whatever it is does not affect humans, but like Foot and Mouth Disease and probably BVDV it can be carried on human hands, shoes, clothes tools and easily transferred from one alpaca to another via a human intermediary. Under these circumstances if there is even a suspicion of a problem on a given farm, all the humans involved must be incredibly careful not to spread the disease themselves.

Firstly, early communication with your veterinarian is critical as he/she can suggest just how infectious the viral disease is and how rigorous you must be with precautions, quarantine and treatment.

Traditional antibiotics are not an effective treatment for viruses. There are a very few prescription based antiviral agents for use in human disease, but we are not aware of any pharmaceutical antiviral compounds licensed for livestock animal use and off course all alpaca medications are "off label" and not therefore licenced.

Viruses require a means to get from animal to animal. This can be “nose to nose” contact, spread of the virus by insects, virus on our hands, clothes, shoes or with farm implements used for cleaning. Virus particles can be passed in the air but rarely move unassisted more than a hundred feet.

There are some viruses that are lethal, rabies for example, but the vast majority of viruses are not. The key is to support the ill animal so it can develop its own defenses.

Virus infections typically have three stages:
At first, expose occurs and the animal exhibits no symptoms. This is called the viral incubation or latent period.
Secondly, the virus rapidly reproduces in the host's blood and tissues, with the infected animal sometimes showing symptoms of viral disease; fever, depression, loss of appetite, nasal discharge.
Lastly, the virus is shed through saliva mucous discharge, urine, feces - any number of routes depending on the specific type of virus and the particulars of its transmission.

Most viral infections have symptoms starting in the second stage and getting worse in the third stage.

Recovery from a viral infection also progresses through stages. Even during the latent incubation phase, the animal's immune system is developing defenses. Fever is the body's normal physiological response to decrease the rate of viral replication.

With a viral challenge, blood antibodies are also being mustered to fight the invading virus. With time, as the alpaca's immune system overcomes the virus, the fever wanes and appetite recovers. Most alpacas recover uneventfully.

A positive consequence with recovery from a viral infection is that the alpaca has developed immunity to that specific virus for some period of time. In many cases immunity lasts for that alpaca's lifetime. However, many viruses mutate every few years, essentially becoming new and different organisms. When exposed to these mutated viruses, the body must repeat the process of recognizing, fighting and clearing the new invader.

This illustrates the need for a healthy immune system. To enable the alpaca to respond to these repeated stresses, it is important to provide sound nutrition. A healthy immune state is dependant on a diet appropriate in fresh forages, minerals and adequate protein.

All alpacas coming to or returning to your farm should be quarantined for a minimum of three weeks. In most cases, this is long enough for most viral diseases to go through the three stages of development, and for disease symptoms to resolve. If any symptoms of disease develop, quarantine should be extended until all symptoms are gone.

A quarantine area is not extensive or elaborate. Your transport trailer, for protection from the elements, with some fencing is perfectly adequate so long as it is physically isolated (minimum of 100 feet) from the other animals.

Viral diseases that present with a runny nose transmit viral particles by direct contact, community feed buckets, water pails and by insects that flock to the nasal mucous. In areas or times with insect persistence, the use of fly sprays (pyrethrum based) are very useful to limit fly populations. With cold winter weather, insect transmission is obviously severely limited.

Regardless of insect transmission, cleaning water and feed buckets is a must and limiting infected animals to a quarantine area is critical so that the virus spread is limited.

Wearing clean clothes and shoes is important when dealing with viral diseases. Start in the “clean” barn with fresh clothes. Then move to the “infected” area and tend to those animals.

Contaminated clothing should be washed in hot bleach water before returning to the clean area. Always start with clean clothing in the clean area. Wash your hands with hot water and soap. Using a foot bath is mandatory as you simply do not have enough shoes to rotate through.

Common sense will usually tell you what to do.

This entry contains sections from an article by Tom Cameron DVM and Steve Hull, PhD; TimberLake Farms, Inc.