Marek's testing in living birds

[JennyHeidewald]

What were your results?

I got two tested in September, they came back positive for Marek's. :.( That was a sucker punch to the gut.
They had symptoms, one had the leg paralysis, the other had ocular and the skin nodules. One got better (astoundingly enough), the other, one of my favorites, died. I didn't do the blood test, just the swab in the mouth and the cloca. I had to get a test sample from one post mortem, she passed a few hours before I got the swabs in the mail.
So now I can't breed and sell project chickens, but I aim to enjoy the ones left. It is an awful disease, every time I turn around it seems another is coming down with symptoms, or has died.

 

[PNWskye]

I got two tested in September, they came back positive for Marek's. :.( That was a sucker punch to the gut.
They had symptoms, one had the leg paralysis, the other had ocular and the skin nodules. One got better (astoundingly enough), the other, one of my favorites, died. I didn't do the blood test, just the swab in the mouth and the cloca. I had to get a test sample from one post mortem, she passed a few hours before I got the swabs in the mail.
So now I can't breed and sell project chickens, but I aim to enjoy the ones left. It is an awful disease, every time I turn around it seems another is coming down with symptoms, or has died.

I felt that gut drop too when reading your response. So sorry. I want to breed and show for 4-H. What a horrible virus. The one with ocular mareks, do you have pics of her eye?

 

[JennyHeidewald]

I felt that gut drop too when reading your response. So sorry. I want to breed and show for 4-H. What a horrible virus. The one with ocular mareks, do you have pics of her eye?

Thank you. I did manage to get one photo of that side where she wasn't terribly blurry, you can see how the pupil isn't round, it kind of looks "melted". She also started to have issues seeing out of the eye. The swelling was pretty bad for her ear lobes. She lived quite a long time after I first noticed she was acting off.

One of my other sweet girls got one lame leg, and also breathing/eating issues (liquid would come up from her crop when she tried to eat). After a week of nursing her, I had her put to sleep because I didn't want her to suffer. It is aggravating that there are so many symptoms that it can present, but it is probably that way because it can affect the nervous system. There are a couple look-a-like diseases/issues too, like a vitamin deficiency, and I can't recall the other disease off the top of my head.

There is a really great reference here on BYC, The Great Big Giant Marek's Disease FAQ by Nambroth, I go back to that a lot.

The best of luck on your 4-H, that will be really fun.

 

[PNWskye]

Thank you. I did manage to get one photo of that side where she wasn't terribly blurry, you can see how the pupil isn't round, it kind of looks "melted". She also started to have issues seeing out of the eye. The swelling was pretty bad for her ear lobes. She lived quite a long time after I first noticed she was acting off.
View attachment 2387653

One of my other sweet girls got one lame leg, and also breathing/eating issues (liquid would come up from her crop when she tried to eat). After a week of nursing her, I had her put to sleep because I didn't want her to suffer. It is aggravating that there are so many symptoms that it can present, but it is probably that way because it can affect the nervous system. There are a couple look-a-like diseases/issues too, like a vitamin deficiency, and I can't recall the other disease off the top of my head.

There is a really great reference here on BYC, The Great Big Giant Marek's Disease FAQ by Nambroth, I go back to that a lot.

The best of luck on your 4-H, that will be really fun.

Thank you for the pic. I do see the pupil blending. Sweet little legbar! I have a pullet legbar named Fionna. She is a good girl! I feel awful for bringing a couple potentially sick hens into the group.

I’ve definitely read that FAQ post and too many others. I plan to do the test because I want to know, and if vaccinated birds don’t have false positives, it’s worth the cost. I just have to ensure I take a great sample, so it isn’t a bad test due to me.

The two in my garage are ready to get out of their quarantine bin and are going a little crazy together.

4-H is all zoom meets right now, so that’s good for minimizing spread. Thank you for your insight. I’ll keep in touch with an update.

 

[PNWskye]

Thank you for the pic. I do see the pupil blending. Sweet little legbar! I have a pullet legbar named Fionna. She is a good girl! I feel awful for bringing a couple potentially sick hens into the group.

I’ve definitely read that FAQ post and too many others. I plan to do the test because I want to know, and if vaccinated birds don’t have false positives, it’s worth the cost. I just have to ensure I take a great sample, so it isn’t a bad test due to me.

The two in my garage are ready to get out of their quarantine bin and are going a little crazy together.

4-H is all zoom meets right now, so that’s good for minimizing spread. Thank you for your insight. I’ll keep in touch with an update.

I contacted the lab, bought the swab/vial kit, and plan to do both for the two birds. Did you do blood and swab for the living bird?

 

[PNWskye]

I just called them wow!
It's the same test!
$18

You get a drop of blood from bird onto a clean but of paper
Seal in a bag and mail with this form!!!
http://www.vetdna.com/application/forms/aviansubmittalform.pdf

I just want to clarify for future readers that they no longer accept this type of sample. They have test kits you purchase first and then, send in for analysis.

 

[JennyHeidewald]

I contacted the lab, bought the swab/vial kit, and plan to do both for the two birds. Did you do blood and swab for the living bird?

Sorry for the late response, I just did the swab because I am too much of a wimp to intentionally clip a nail to the quick to get blood. Swab goes in the mouth first, then the vent.

 

[Selgar]

agree! Knowing the symptoms and experiencing sudden or slow death of birds is best indicator of Marek's Disease. It is common worldwide. Since there is no treatment or CURE, the test is an unnecessary expense. Necropsy is less expensive and confirms reason for loss of bird that died suddenly without showing most common symptoms. AND since it is a long lived Virus, if you have a bird or birds with Marek's, you may always have it with any old or new chickens. Do not understand in one test, described, that vaccinated birds will show positive for Marek's. ?? The vaccine is NOT a Marek's preparation, but is a Turkey, herpes virus vaccine and cannot cause Marek's or indicate Marek's if not infected without symptoms (although like all vaccines, it may not be effective in 100% of vaccinated birds_. It is well worth vaccinating your own chicks--AT HATCH=or the small extra cost of vaccination of purchased day old chicks. Do not wish it for any one's loved and valued birds! Pullets not likely to show any symptoms until point of lay, maybe after first egg or two. Cockerels may show symptoms at about 3 months, but may carry virus silently for even a year! Lots of information to absorb--some not valid, but all is useful.

This is so old, but had to reply. It is because the test is confirming or ruling out anti-bodies. When a bird has antibodies and has not been vaccinated, the positive results tell you they were exposed to the virus.