These range from the dreaded 'RNS' to viral hepatitis and stomatitis. Some animals which are carriers may themselves be entirely free of symptoms and may appear perfectly healthy. Tortoise club meetings where animals are present are also risky. These problems are greatly magnified when people allow different species or tortoises from different geographical origins to mix with each other. A number of causal organisms have now been identifed and all are extremely unpleasant.
Prevention is much better than cure.
In fact, cure is impossible in many instances and the result is a dead tortoise.