Not an Emergency...Marek's in the Flock

[leedyfeathers]

she was a over a year by days her name was BIG Bertha laid big eggs too and yes fatter than a butter ball that's she was a duel purpose bird.

accually she is almost a year old by a month.. I got her on may 5th. however I had been loosing birds back when they were @ 20-30 weeks because it was right before they had started laying eggs and they seemed to take forever to start and they didn't start on the 21week like most others experience.

 

[leedyfeathers]

Mareks picture this is a picture of the eye of my silver laced wynedott she should have a yellow orangey eye there's no clouding or irregular shape like they say it is in Marek's but is turning grey or lacks color in the iris can it be the same thing???

 

[seminolewind]

That's one example. I've seen a few different ones. Leedy, sometimes I like to see more than one "hint", like if a chicken has tumors that could be LL or Marek's, and one has the ocular-looking type, I would probably lean towards Marek's. Just like if the birds were having paralysis, I would lean towards Marek's. I have to consider the flock history (have others died of Marek's?) or have others appeared to have Marek's.


Ocho, I know what it's like to lose a whole "hatch" of juvies. That's when my lightbulb went on. I can only say that each one got a funeral and a prayer, and eventually the deaths stopped , and stayed sporadic since then, like 1-5 average each year generally from wasting. The past year was bad for me, but most or all were Marek's suppressed immune system type ailments like enteritis , one from aspergillosis, cocci.

 

[leedyfeathers]

That's one example.  I've seen a few different ones.  Leedy, sometimes I like to see more than one "hint", like if a chicken has tumors that could be LL or Marek's, and one has the ocular-looking type, I would probably lean towards Marek's.  Just like if the birds were having paralysis, I would lean towards Marek's.  I have to consider the flock history (have others died of Marek's?) or have others appeared to have Marek's. 


Ocho, I know what it's like to lose a whole "hatch" of juvies.  That's when my lightbulb went on.  I can only say that each one got a funeral and a prayer, and eventually the deaths stopped , and stayed sporadic since then, like 1-5 average each year generally from wasting.  The past year was bad for me, but most or all were Marek's suppressed immune system type ailments like enteritis , one from aspergillosis, cocci.

I have a chart I found and will post in a bit maybe you all can help me figure out what some of the terminology and if could help others ... maybe. I am leaning on mareks but would like a pcp realtime done I guess.

 

[leedyfeathers]

Feature

Marek's disease

Lymphoid leucosis

My flock
Age

6 weeks or older

16 weeks or older

after 20 wk
Symptoms

Frequently paralysis

Non-specific

Fluffed, alone, tail drop, lacks coordination, one leg paralysis progress to complete, death/ some was the above then sitting down from weakness then death no paralysis.
Incidence

Frequently 5%+ in unvaccinated flocks

Rarely above 5%

30 Unvaccinated, every other two weeks mostly or longer one year 15 living birds two in stages of paralysis

Macroscopic Lesions


-Neural enlargement

-Frequent

-Absent

Swelling - no
-Bursa of Fabricius

-Diffuse enlargement or atrophy

-Nodular tumors

?
- bursal normal
-Tumors in skin, muscle, proventriculus

-May be present

-Usually absent

-No skin tumors
-no proventriculus tumors
- ? muscle

Microscopic lesions


-Neural involvement

-Yes
-Often perivascular

-No
-Focal or diffuse

-?
- sciatic nerve normal?
-Liver tumors

-Diffuse

-Often focal

-diffuse “white”
-Spleen

-Either atrophy of follicles or interfollicular tumor

-Intrafollicular tumors

??
Spleen mottled
-Bursa of Fabricius CNS

-Yes

-No

no
-Lymphoid prolifer-ation of skin and feather follicles

-Yes

-No

no

Cytology of tumors


Pleomorphic lymphoid cells including lymphoblasts, small, medium and large lymphocytes and reticulum cells. Rarely may only be lymphoblasts


Lymphoblasts

?



Category of neoplastic lymphoid cell


T cell


B cell

?

 

[lalaland]

thats a great chart, thanks for posting it.

I feel like I am too much a newbie to mareks - just since Oct this year and am still learning too much to feel confident about saying anything regarding your situation.

 

[leedyfeathers]

Feature

Marek's disease

Lymphoid leucosis

My flock
Age

6 weeks or older

16 weeks or older

after 20 wk
Symptoms

Frequently paralysis

Non-specific

Fluffed, alone, tail drop, lacks coordination, one leg paralysis progress to complete, death/ some was the above then sitting down from weakness then death no paralysis.
Incidence

Frequently 5%+ in unvaccinated flocks

Rarely above 5%

30 Unvaccinated, every other two weeks mostly or longer one year 15 living birds two in stages of paralysis

Macroscopic Lesions


-Neural enlargement

-Frequent

-Absent

Swelling - no
-Bursa of Fabricius

-Diffuse enlargement or atrophy

-Nodular tumors

?
- bursal normal
-Tumors in skin, muscle, proventriculus

-May be present

-Usually absent

-No skin tumors
-no proventriculus tumors
- ? muscle

Microscopic lesions


-Neural involvement

-Yes
-Often perivascular

-No
-Focal or diffuse

-?
- sciatic nerve normal?
-Liver tumors

-Diffuse

-Often focal

-diffuse “white”
-Spleen

-Either atrophy of follicles or interfollicular tumor

-Intrafollicular tumors

??
Spleen mottled
-Bursa of Fabricius CNS

-Yes

-No

no
-Lymphoid prolifer-ation of skin and feather follicles

-Yes

-No

no

Cytology of tumors


Pleomorphic lymphoid cells including lymphoblasts, small, medium and large lymphocytes and reticulum cells. Rarely may only be lymphoblasts


Lymphoblasts

?



Category of neoplastic lymphoid cell


T cell


B cell

?

thats a great chart, thanks for posting it.

I feel like I am too much a newbie to mareks - just since Oct this year and am still learning too much to feel confident about saying anything regarding your situation.

there is confliction with info .. im still trying to work out some of the info that's on this chart. like the Cytology of tumors or category of neoplastic lymphoid cell T or B something that was not mentioned on my report and reading it makes my eyes cross.

 

[ochochicas]

Our state vet said they could send a test in for Marek's after the necropsy. Can you have the same test done? I had it done to confirm the Marek's in my flock, although (unfortunately) I already knew in my own mind that is was true.

 

[leedyfeathers]

This chart is from The Chicken Health Handbook.
I put check next to the things that I was sure of or thought was right the kidney is something not mentioned on either of these but on my report it states kidney is ok.. however talking to pathologist about test he in cluded the kidney as cancerous he said lots of nodules.

 

[leedyfeathers]

Our state vet said they could send a test in for Marek's after the necropsy. Can you have the same test done?  I had it done to confirm the Marek's in my flock, although (unfortunately) I already knew in my own mind that is was true. 

I need to call my vet and ask if the two I have right now can be tested they are in full bloom of something. I just want as much absolute this is it info if its possible and I think only way is blood test.
And im treating it as Mareks anyway.