Has anyone ever had a chicken survive ocular marek's?

[MaggieP]

maggieP,

Your hen with the changed eye color may not have mareks.  I had mareks diagnosed via necropsy at the univ lab.  Two weeks later I noticed a 4 year old hen with one eye changed - grey color.  And then her sister a few days later also had a changed eye.  I took one of the two to the lab to be euthanized and necropsied and......she DID NOT have mareks!  the eye color change wasn't ocular mareks according to the vet at the path lab.

So, take heart, maybe your hen does not have mareks.

Diagnosis of mareks came in my flock Oct 15th of this year.  Since then, no deaths - I have 22 hens ranging from 6 months old to 6 years old.  About 6 of them are unvaccinated, and were mostly chicks that were hatched in my flock by one of my broodies.  I hate the idea that any future hatches might have a high mortality rate.  I don't know what I will do next spring when they start going broody again.

I am doing lots of immune support stuff and am always looking for more ways to boost immune systems.

Here's the link to the mareks in the flock not an emergency thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/741957/not-an-emergency-mareks-in-the-flock

First off, marek's sucks and I'm sorry you have it. You said you got a diagnosis in October, how old was the hen that died in order to give that diagnosis? Also you said that you had two that showed up with the strange eye, did you have one of them killed just to find out even though it was showing no other symptoms? It is interesting to hear that it was in fact not marek's, but then what was it? Thanks so much for the info and the link.

 

[lalaland]

First off, marek's sucks and I'm sorry you have it. You said you got a diagnosis in October, how old was the hen that died in order to give that diagnosis? Also you said that you had two that showed up with the strange eye, did you have one of them killed just to find out even though it was showing no other symptoms? It is interesting to hear that it was in fact not marek's, but then what was it? Thanks so much for the info and the link.

In October, I had a little 5 month old legbar rooster who suddenly had the split leg paralysis. His necropsy had the mareks diagnosis. Shortly there after, I had the two hens who changed eye color. I was panicked, and trying to wade through all the information about mareks. I was reading that you needed to cull every chicken showing symptoms, to help protect the survivors. So I did take that poor hen to the university lab where she was euthanized and then necropsied. I can't remember exactly what the vet wrote, something about infiltrates in the eye.

I've learned more since then, and I don't think I would cull symptomatic chickens at this point. I am still learning though, so will weigh what I know and think and try to make the best decision next time. Either way, its a gamble, and there is no good option.

I will keep my fingers crossed that your hen does not have mareks.

 

[MaggieP]

In October, I had a little 5 month old legbar rooster who suddenly had the split leg paralysis. His necropsy had the mareks diagnosis.  Shortly there after, I had the two hens who changed eye color.  I was panicked, and trying to wade through all the information about mareks.  I was reading that you needed to cull every chicken showing symptoms, to help protect the survivors.  So I did take that poor hen to the university lab where she was euthanized and then necropsied.  I can't remember exactly what the vet wrote, something about infiltrates in the eye.  

I've learned more since then, and I don't think I would cull symptomatic chickens at this point.  I am still learning though, so will weigh what I know and think and try to make the best decision next time.  Either way, its a gamble, and there is no good option.

I will keep my fingers crossed that your hen does not have mareks.  

Thank you for sharing. I feel like I have read everything I can get my hands on that has to do with marek's but find the only real comfort, ideas, and suggestions have come from the people who have it in their flock and are dealing with it directly like aldarita and saltandpepper2. I wish I had a university near me that would do a necropsy with a quick turn around time. University of Florida wanted 600 dollars. I found a lab 2 hours away that will do it for 30 bucks but it took a full 8 wks for the results. It makes me crazy thinking of all the things I would do differently had I known better. I seriously didn't even know a necropsy was possible until I had lost my 3rd pullet and was determined to get real answers. I sure am sorry you had to have one of your girls culled just to find out it would have been fine to let her live. I have to say I'm shocked by the fact that they didn't diagnose your hen with marek's. In my research cellular infiltrates in the eye is exactly what marek's does to the eye. So that would be a symptom of something. And 2 hens having it at the same time? If that was my chicken I would want way more answers. I really hope my questioning isn't coming across as offensive. I really appreciate your story.

 

[lalaland]

not offended at all. You are expressing my feelings.
This is what the path report said: Histology of the eyes reveals a mild infiltrate of plasma cells in the iris of the hen,
while this inflammatory infiltrate is not present in the rooster. There is no evidence of Marek's disease and
the eyes of both birds are within normal limits.

It is only with a PCR test that you can absolutely positively confirm that there is an exposure to Mareks, but it doesn't mean that is what the bird died of. The vet said:
I have come across two options for Marek's disease testing in terms of PCR test.

One PCR test available at University of Texas requires chicken blood collected in EDTA (noncoagulated) to be tested for Marek's disease virus nuclei acid. this test is approx. $30 per sample and would be conducted on birds that are still alive.

A second test, available at University of Georgia, is conducted on tissue or blood. I called the lab and the technician believes they can test brain that has been previously fixed in preservative, but she will have to confirm. This test is approximately $110.

Please keep in mind that both of these tests only indicate that birds have been exposed to the MD virus and do not prove that MD is the primary disease. Many birds can test positive for MD with such tests because the virus is ubiquitous, but many exposed birds do not develop clinical signs or lesions because they have been vaccinated.

Anyway, there are other things that can cause the eye color change. So far I am not seeing any symptoms in the remaining hen that has the eye color change.

Now, I was advised to get some litter from turkeys and to spread that litter (which would contain feathers and feather dander) in the coop and run. I'm too tired to go into all the reasons why, but I've heard from more than one person who has mareks in their flock and who have had no further problems after doing this. Someone else has said they actually have turkeys and that didn't solve the problem for them. The same vet that did the necropsies on my chickens told me to absolutely do not add the turkey litter because of a risk of transmitting salmonella to my flock. I took a jump and obtained some turkey litter and spread it in the run. That was almost two months ago. No losses since, but it is early days.

 

[m1tankr00]

I to have a SLW that is blind. She was doing okay with the other hens until it got cold and then she started getting picked on. I have moved her to the basement and she has found her food and water. She still has good weight and likes to talk. How did you make out with yours?

 

[lalaland]

well, my hen doesn't seem to be blind, just has the change in color in shape of the iris in one eye. She has a very pale comb and is losing weight. I was just debating whether to put her in a side coop with a buddy and treat with tylan - for enteritis - to see if I could help her build up her weight. She hasn't returned to laying and her sibling has - the difference between the two is striking.

I don't want to treat the whole flock with tylan, which is why I might put her in a different coop with a buddy ( I'll chose another hen who isn't laying again after molt). I'm not sure if she has mareks or not since her other sibling didn't (necropsy findings)


whats your long term plan for yours? Will you be able to return her to the flock?

 

[aldarita]

lalaland, thank you so much for passing along all the information you have encountered with your Marek's research and experience. As you pointed in your post, it is important to remember that even though there might be some necropsies that come back positive for the marek's virus due to the vaccination, the cause of death might be related to the fact that the virus is opportunistic and anything can attack their system when it weakens due to stress.
Also thank you MaggieP for starting this thread and providing us with the info you have come up with.
Best luck with all our flocks!!!

 

[MaggieP]

I'm letting you all know with a heavy heart that I had to put shauna, my SLW with ocular mareks, down yesterday. For about 2 weeks I had mothers intuition that something bad was going on. She was just acting a little less active, then started holding her tail to the right. Anyway, yesterday morning when I went to clean and let them out she was having trouble breathing and was completely soiled on her backside. The breathing problems where only escalating. I found a vet and her suffering was ended. Marek's is a real beast. Thanks for your support yesterday aldarita. Tuff time.

 

[lalaland]

awhhh, Maggie, I am so sorry to hear about shauna.

 

[saltandpepper2]

I'm so sorry for your loss