I think my quails got Marek's from my chickens

[SarahGfa]

I started with 8 Japanese quails that hatched 6 months ago.

6 weeks ago: one female quail dead. She felt very skinny.

3 weeks ago: one chicken came down with Marek's symptoms (paralysis, green diarrhea). She is still partly paralyzed but alive. Thread here.

2 weeks ago: one male quail fluffed up and lethargic, not eating. After a week he started getting better, and today he is active again but wings droopy.

Today: another female quail dead. She didn't feel as skinny as the first quail, but one foot had very long nails. Scratching in the sand usually keeps their nails trim, so she must have stopped using that foot (paralysis?).

I don't know for sure that it is Marek's because I did not do a necropsy, but it seems to fit. The quails have always lived in a closed room so it would be hard for them to catch a disease. My guess is that the chickens got a virus while free-ranging, and I spread it to the quails on my clothes. First quail died before the chicken showed any symptoms, but maybe chickens have a longer incubation time.

Just thought I'd share my story because I have not seen anything posted about quails and Marek's before.

 

[Kiki]

Maybe you should send your next death in for a necropsy so you can have a for sure answer.
What state are you in?

 

[SarahGfa]

Maybe you should send your next death in for a necropsy so you can have a for sure answer.
What state are you in?

California. i wonder if anyone would even be willing to necropsy a quail

 

[Kiki]

California. i wonder if anyone would even be willing to necropsy a quail

Your state lab will.
@casportpony can give you the phone number.

 

[casportpony]

Your state lab will.
@casportpony can give you the phone number.

@SarahGfa, so sorry for your losses.
$20 for 1-2 birds. Refrigerate, do not freeze.
http://cahfs.ucdavis.edu/
I really like Dr. Prasad at the Tulare lab, so that's where I send mine.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures.799747/

 

[SarahGfa]

@SarahGfa, so sorry for your losses.
$20 for 1-2 birds. Refrigerate, do not freeze.
http://cahfs.ucdavis.edu/
I really like Dr. Prasad at the Tulare lab, so that's where I send mine.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures.799747/

Very informative, thank you!

 

[Kiki]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/180503

"In general, females were more susceptible than males."
"MD-specific fluorescent precipitating antibodies were present in the egg yolk and plasma of both infected sick and infected symptomless quail."

 

[SarahGfa]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/180503

"In general, females were more susceptible than males."
"MD-specific fluorescent precipitating antibodies were present in the egg yolk and plasma of both infected sick and infected symptomless quail."

Interesting. Would a lab be able to test some eggs for the virus?

 

[Kiki]

Interesting. Would a lab be able to test some eggs for the virus?

I have no idea.

 

[007Sean]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/180503

"In general, females were more susceptible than males."
"MD-specific fluorescent precipitating antibodies were present in the egg yolk and plasma of both infected sick and infected symptomless quail."

Interesting but these quail were injected with the virus. I reasearhed for studies conducted on natural conditions of infection of MDV and Japanese quail and found none. @casportpony do you know of any research conducted on natural infection of Japanese quail by MDV?