Marek's Disease. Questions, Questions, Questions...HELP!

[centrarchid]

How interesting. Has anyone had a necropsy done on any of the deceased birds?

Just myself. A vet will be involved with next round. The tumor like structures in bird looked at where consistent with Mareks.

 

[farm-gal91]

I am 99% sure this is Marek's, but just to be sure I will be taking the most recently deceased bird to work with me tomorrow (I am a vet tech) and the vets are also interested so we will be doing a necropsy to look inside. I have never seen it, not sure if I want to but better to be 100% positive.

 

[TweeTea]

It is a good idea, then you are sure of the cause and how to proceed especially if you are looking at adding more young chicks to your flock.

Thanks for the breed info too centrarchid, I might avoid gamers. I have read that the virus is chicken specific, but I doubt this was verified by testing all bird species, probably just birds like sparrows and pigeons.

 

[farm-gal91]

I just hope I can find a good, online hatchery, I had another forum and people seem to like Ideal. It will be a while before I get more. I have much sanitizing to do and I want to wait and ensure no other girls come down with it.

 

[centrarchid]

It is a good idea, then you are sure of the cause and how to proceed especially if you are looking at adding more young chicks to your flock.

Thanks for the breed info too centrarchid, I might avoid gamers. I have read that the virus is chicken specific, but I doubt this was verified by testing all bird species, probably just birds like sparrows and pigeons.

Being that you are in Australia, I would make no assumption your Mareks if the same as what I deal with. Also gamers are extremely variable with respect to genetics, probably more so than most production and ornamental breeds.

To help with my disease management issues, my flock is closed in that all reproduction involves my birds making so bringing in new vulnerable birds is not needed.

 

[farm-gal91]

Also on a side note, I noticed that the last bird with Marek's would constantly flip over on her back and she couldn't turn back over. I couldn't find this symptom anywhere. Did you all experience this at all?

 

[casportpony]

How interesting. Has anyone had a necropsy done on any of the deceased birds?

Yes. Here is a copy of the preliminary necropsy report. What it doesn't say is that the histopathology confirmed Merek's. I will post the final report after I edit my address, phone number etc out of it.

 

[casportpony]

Also on a side note, I noticed that the last bird with Marek's would constantly flip over on her back and she couldn't turn back over. I couldn't find this symptom anywhere. Did you all experience this at all?

Yes.

 

[casportpony]

I am 99% sure this is Marek's, but just to be sure I will be taking the most recently deceased bird to work with me tomorrow (I am a vet tech) and the vets are also interested so we will be doing a necropsy to look inside. I have never seen it, not sure if I want to but better to be 100% positive.

If they don't have the AAAP Disease Manual, this might be helpful.









Here are the pictures that go with the Merek's section of the AAAP Manual.

Fig. 1; Marek's Disease; NCSU Typical paresis HJ Barns; NCSU


Fig. 2; Marek's Disease; UC Davis Infiltration of iris HL Shivaprasad; CAHFS, UC Davis


Fig. 3; Marek's Disease; UC Davis Sciatic plexus enlargement HL Shivaprasad; CAHFS, UC Davis


Fig. 4; Marek's Disease; NCSU Nerve enlargement & loss of striations HJ Barns; NCSU


Fig. 5; Marek's Disease; NCSU Discoloration of iris HJ Barns; NCSU


Fig. 6; Marek's Disease; Cornell U Infiltration of feather follicles Cornell University


Fig. 7; Marek's Disease; UC Davis Visceral tumors HL Shivaprasad; CAHFS, UC Davis


Fig. 8; Marek's Disease; UC Davis Liver tumors HL Shivaprasad; CAHFS, UC Davis


Fig. 9; Marek's Disease; UC Davis Heart tumors HL Shivaprasad; CAHFS, UC Davis


Fig. 10; Marek's Disease; UC Davis Kidney tumors HL Shivaprasad; CAHFS, UC Davis


Fig. 11; Marek's Disease; NCSU Proventricular tumor HJ Barns; NCSU

[FONT=Arial,Bold][FONT=Arial,Bold][FONT=Arial,Bold]Fig. 12; Marek's Disease; UC Davis [/FONT]Nerve infiltration (HP) HL Shivaprasad; CAHFS, UC Davis[/FONT][/FONT]​

Source:

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[farm-gal91]

Well I won't have a report done since I will be doing the necropsy myself along with my doctors but it will give me a learning experience and confirm my high suspicions of Marek's. if anyone is interested, I can post internal photos of the tumors, and any other odd findings. Let me know if any of you are interested.
All of the findings on your necropsy report, I have a high suspicion will be my findings. We did see an enlarged spleen on an ultrasound when we tried to save her. No tumors were evident but then again it is very hard to do a clear ultrasound on a squirmy chicken.
Yes we do have the manual.