Any updates/news on the Cricket Paralysis Virus?

[SFgeckos]

Several sources have mentioned a "possible" viral outbreak along the West Coast which is wiping out cricket breeders. Supposedly, the suspected agent is the Cricket Paralysis Virus (which hit Europe in 2002). Does anyone have any updates?

Jon

 

[SFgeckos]

Just got off the phone with a good friend of mine (unnamed cricket breeder for almost 20 years), it appears that the hypothesis may be correct.

This is a SCARY virus! Here is some brief information for those interested:
-cricket paralysis virus is from a group of insect picorna-like viruses, it is a naturally occurring virus.
-single stranded RNA virus
-under lab conditions, has been replicated in fruit flies! (that is scary)
-This virus specifically attacks only the Common Brown or House cricket (Acheta domesticus), previously the core species in European trade, and the only species in trade in the USA.
-Infected crickets die without any visible symptoms and at all stages of development, but death rates are heaviest at the pre-wing stage just before adult size.
-due to the problems in Europe from the virus, The Brown House cricket is commercially extinct in Europe
In Europe, commercial growers regularly raise three alternative species of cricket, Banded cricket, also known as the Tropical House cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus), African Black Field cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus), and Silent Brown cricket, also known as Jamaican Field cricket (Gryllus similis)

I just hope it doesn't spread to the Midwest/east coast...keeping my fingers crossed.

Jon

 

[Tony C]

That is scary. So far my crickets from Sunshine Mealworms have been fine. I am screwed if I can't get crickets...

 

[SFgeckos]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one showing concern! Even though I rarely purchase or feed any crickets to my animals, I still think it's important to be aware of the feeder market (example- the mealworm shortage or silkworm virus). One of the reasons I actually started keeping/experimenting with many different feeder insects back in late '02/early 03 was due to the cricket virus outbreak in Europe. I wanted to try alternative feeders in case this ever hit the US...the scariest part is reading "the brown house cricket is commercially extinct in Europe"

Jon

 

[snakegirl]

this isnt the first post i have seen about this, on other sites...I hope it doesn't happen...but i fear it might have already.

 

[Utastansburiana]

cricket paralysis virus epidemic?

An epidemic of CrPV is of great interest to us insect pathologists. We scientists would like to get hold of some of these infected crickets for research purposes. Which suppliers are having these epidemics? I'd like to contact them.

 

[Pro Geckos]

I heard about this from a cricket breeder and it's really scary to think about. There are so many animals out there that are dependent on them. I know most of my fat tails rarely want anything but crickets. The whole mealworm issue back in 2008 was a real wake up call for me. If what happened in Europe happened here I think it would be even more devastating.

 

[Mel&Keith]

-Infected crickets die without any visible symptoms and at all stages of development, but death rates are heaviest at the pre-wing stage just before adult size.

I guess that helps explain why the death rate was so high on the crickets we were getting from one supplier. I always order 3/4" crickets. We ordered from Ghann's recently and all of the crickets looked perfect. I lost a whole bunch of them trying to get them out of the box though. I forgot how fast they're supposed to be!

I really hope that the affected suppliers are able to isolate it and keep it from spreading.

 

[CallDr]

Yup...... I posted this a while back and I ordered crickets from a breeder who claimed they were not affected by it. My concern was getting mine from the Pet Shop and than end up feeding it to the Gecko. I was having problems with crickets not even making it to my house 5 miles away. Thats what started my research on it.

 

[jermh1]

I guess I should tell my roaches to breed faster.

 

[Tony C]

I guess I should tell my roaches to breed faster.

No joke. My frogs are in big trouble if the cricket virus spreads. :main_thumbsdown:

 

[Imperial Geckos]

Most of my fat tails eat crickets..but wince i heard of this virus..i got some roaches and im trying to switch all my geckos to mealworms..

 

[Mel&Keith]

Does anyone know if this can affect the reptiles eating the crickets in any way?

 

[jermh1]

Does anyone know if this can affect the reptiles eating the crickets in any way?

The virus should not effect the geckos, If it did jump to other organisms, it would most likely start with closer organisms, but as there are other species of crickets that are unaffected by the virus, so I would say a leap to different Phylum would be much more unlikely

 

[steve905]

I was told from my supplier tihs morning that one of the bigger suppliers in Michingan has it and has shut down to clean and sterilize everything... I've got 12 friggin bearded dragons I't gonna be a mess if they need something beyond crickets.

 

[SFgeckos]

"An epidemic of CrPV is of great interest to us insect pathologists. We scientists would like to get hold of some of these infected crickets for research purposes. Which suppliers are having these epidemics? I'd like to contact them."

Call me skeptical, but as a first post it just seems strange that an "insect pathologist" would ask about suppliers who are infected with CrPV?

If you truly are an entomology pathologist, you would already know that samples have been submitted weeks ago to University of California Davis and several other institutions for research and analysis. Also, additional information on CrPV can be found with a simple Pubmed search, there's about 75 articles the last time I looked.

Here is an interesting recent (Feb 2010) article titled: "Temperature protects insect cells from infection by cricket paralysis virus" (Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA). Ironically, years ago I used to work in the same building at Stanford University School of Medicine, who knew they had CrPV in the labs?!??

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19906924

"...The different susceptibility to pathogens at different temperatures is likely a crucial feature of host-pathogen interaction in cold-blooded animals."

Jon

 

[TheCornPit]

has anyone had any problems with there animals that may have eatin crickets that they now know had the virius?

 

[Kizerk]

I guess I can kind of 'help' confirm it. I'm in Los Angeles The people that I get my crickets from have pretty much said there's a disease going on. None of the crickets are making it past the the 2 week stage and for now they're selling crickets that they've had shipped from out of state.

They purchased a 5k fan/air thing, that they think are helping, but I don't know :/

 

[bman123]

My last batch of crickets died real fast, this was about a week ago. I buy large crickets from the pet store and normally they last 3weeks or until eaten but the last ones lasted less then a week. When I saw them dying off like that I just disposed of them instead of feeding them to my Leo.

I looked online and saw about this cricket problem and quickly switched to strictly superworms. Hopefully this gets striaghtened out as I'm sure alot of peoples reptiles depend on crickets..

 

[Kristi23]

We were at Chicago Reptile House last week and the owner told us about this, too. Luckily we don't use crickets, but there were a lot of people there waiting on their shipment that was coming in.