What is The Symptons Of Mereks and how bad is it. I;m kinda new to chickens so any help would be nice thanks
Dustin
Dustin
Mereks Help
- Thread starter tennessee_chicken_lover
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Are There anyOther Chicken Message Board where i can Get Fast Answers When i really NEED THEM DUSTIN
Not alot of us are on here this early, but I found your post. I think this article should clear up your questions about Marek's.
"Marek's Disease (Visceral Leukosis)
Marek's disease is characteristically a disease of young chickens but older birds can also be affected. In contrast to the lymphoid leukosis tumor response, Marek's disease may be observed in more diverse locations.
Marek's disease is caused by a virus belonging to the Herpes virus group. Much is known about the transmission of the virus; however, it appears that the virus is concentrated in the feather follicles and shed in the dander (sloughed skin and feather cells). The virus has a long survival time in dander since viable virus can be isolated from houses that have been depopulated for many months.
The usual mode of transmission is by aerosols containing infected dander and dust. Young birds are most susceptible to infection by Marek's disease; however, since the incubation period is short, clinical symptoms can appear much earlier than in the case with lymphoid leukosis.
Marek's disease may produce a variety of clinical responses, all lymphoid in character. These are acute visceral, neural, ocular, skin or combinations of the responses that can be seen.
Marek's of the visceral type is characterized by widespread involvement with lesions commonly seen in gonads, liver, spleen, kidney and occasionally heart, lungs and muscles. The disease is often acute, with apparently healthy birds dying very rapidly with massive internal tumors. The disease may appear in broiler-age birds but the most severe losses occur in replacement pullet flocks prior to onset of egg production.
The neural type of Marek's is typified by progressive paralysis of the wings, legs and neck. Loss of body weight, anemia, labored respiration and diarrhea are common symptom. If lesions are present, they are confined to the nerve trunks and plexes enervating the paralyzed extremities. Frequently no gross lesions can be observed.
Ocular (eye) leukosis or "gray-eye" is usually seen in early maturity. Morbidity and mortality are usually low but may approach twenty-five percent in some flocks. It is characterized by the spotty depigmentation or diffuse graying of the iris in the eye. The pupil develops an irregular shape and fails to react to light. Emaciation diarrhea and death follow.
Skin leukosis produces the most severe losses in broilers. The losses result from high condemnations at the processing plant. Enlargement of the feather follicles due to accumulations of lymphocytes is the typical lesion. This is the most infective virus since it is produced in the regions of the feather follicles and is shed with the skin dander.
Acute Marek's disease can be extremely rapid in its course, producing mortality in apparently healthy birds. However, in some cases the lesions may regress and clinically affected birds may make complete recoveries.
Diagnosis is based upon flock history and disease manifestations. Accurate diagnosis may depend on results of laboratory procedures. As is the case with lymphoid leukosis, there is no treatment for Marek's disease.
A vaccine is available that is extremely effective (90% +) in the prevention of Marek's disease. It is administered to day-old chickens as a subcutaneous injection while the birds are in the hatchery. Use of the vaccine requires strict accordance with manufacturer's recommendations in a sterile environment."
"Marek's Disease (Visceral Leukosis)
Marek's disease is characteristically a disease of young chickens but older birds can also be affected. In contrast to the lymphoid leukosis tumor response, Marek's disease may be observed in more diverse locations.
Marek's disease is caused by a virus belonging to the Herpes virus group. Much is known about the transmission of the virus; however, it appears that the virus is concentrated in the feather follicles and shed in the dander (sloughed skin and feather cells). The virus has a long survival time in dander since viable virus can be isolated from houses that have been depopulated for many months.
The usual mode of transmission is by aerosols containing infected dander and dust. Young birds are most susceptible to infection by Marek's disease; however, since the incubation period is short, clinical symptoms can appear much earlier than in the case with lymphoid leukosis.
Marek's disease may produce a variety of clinical responses, all lymphoid in character. These are acute visceral, neural, ocular, skin or combinations of the responses that can be seen.
Marek's of the visceral type is characterized by widespread involvement with lesions commonly seen in gonads, liver, spleen, kidney and occasionally heart, lungs and muscles. The disease is often acute, with apparently healthy birds dying very rapidly with massive internal tumors. The disease may appear in broiler-age birds but the most severe losses occur in replacement pullet flocks prior to onset of egg production.
The neural type of Marek's is typified by progressive paralysis of the wings, legs and neck. Loss of body weight, anemia, labored respiration and diarrhea are common symptom. If lesions are present, they are confined to the nerve trunks and plexes enervating the paralyzed extremities. Frequently no gross lesions can be observed.
Ocular (eye) leukosis or "gray-eye" is usually seen in early maturity. Morbidity and mortality are usually low but may approach twenty-five percent in some flocks. It is characterized by the spotty depigmentation or diffuse graying of the iris in the eye. The pupil develops an irregular shape and fails to react to light. Emaciation diarrhea and death follow.
Skin leukosis produces the most severe losses in broilers. The losses result from high condemnations at the processing plant. Enlargement of the feather follicles due to accumulations of lymphocytes is the typical lesion. This is the most infective virus since it is produced in the regions of the feather follicles and is shed with the skin dander.
Acute Marek's disease can be extremely rapid in its course, producing mortality in apparently healthy birds. However, in some cases the lesions may regress and clinically affected birds may make complete recoveries.
Diagnosis is based upon flock history and disease manifestations. Accurate diagnosis may depend on results of laboratory procedures. As is the case with lymphoid leukosis, there is no treatment for Marek's disease.
A vaccine is available that is extremely effective (90% +) in the prevention of Marek's disease. It is administered to day-old chickens as a subcutaneous injection while the birds are in the hatchery. Use of the vaccine requires strict accordance with manufacturer's recommendations in a sterile environment."
- Jan 11, 2007
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There are many reasons for leg problems and partial paralysis...(you have given no useful info with your posting)..however since you specifically asked for info on Mareks (You could have tried the search function here btw it is spelled MAREKS )...here are two threads on it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=591
(my board is mentioned and here is the specific thread on MAREKS):
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=linksgeneralinfo&action=display&num=1161855136
Diseases affecting the nervous system:
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=linksgeneralinfo&action=display&num=1160151316
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1564
thread this forum on Mareks)
If you are unsure of what you may be dealing with , then here is an A-Z Disease summary list (MerckVet manual link below each summary with more explicit info):
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=linksgeneralinfo&action=display&num=1160262690
I must say I was thoroughly taken aback at the tone of your last posting ...this is a board where people freely give of their time and experience ... it is not a job where one is expected to give an answer within a certain time period. I will assume that it is a simple case of panic instead of bad manners
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=591
(my board is mentioned and here is the specific thread on MAREKS):
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=linksgeneralinfo&action=display&num=1161855136
Diseases affecting the nervous system:
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=linksgeneralinfo&action=display&num=1160151316
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1564
thread this forum on Mareks)
If you are unsure of what you may be dealing with , then here is an A-Z Disease summary list (MerckVet manual link below each summary with more explicit info):
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=linksgeneralinfo&action=display&num=1160262690
I must say I was thoroughly taken aback at the tone of your last posting ...this is a board where people freely give of their time and experience ... it is not a job where one is expected to give an answer within a certain time period. I will assume that it is a simple case of panic instead of bad manners
Last edited:
Dustin, we are always glad to help you. However, we are not here 24/7. Your first post was at a quarter to 3 my time. Your second post was 3 and a half hours later. 4H Mom and Diana got back to you within 4 hours, which is pretty darn fast for that time of day. If you needed answers faster, maybe you should have called and woke your vet.
- Thread starter
- #6
Yeah i'm so sorry about that but in the past week i had two of my Best hens died.
One of them would always lay down in one spot and hardly move at all so i seperated her from the rest of them. Then another Hen Was Barely Eating And I went and Checked on the two hens i put by their self they had died. They was two of the sweetest hen their names was Big Momma and Sweet momma. so sorry about my tone ok. i didn't mean anything bad ok. Thanks for the info.
Dustin
One of them would always lay down in one spot and hardly move at all so i seperated her from the rest of them. Then another Hen Was Barely Eating And I went and Checked on the two hens i put by their self they had died. They was two of the sweetest hen their names was Big Momma and Sweet momma. so sorry about my tone ok. i didn't mean anything bad ok. Thanks for the info.
Dustin
- Thread starter
- #8
Quote:
where do you take them to? do you take it to vet or where
THank you Dustin
where do you take them to? do you take it to vet or where
THank you Dustin
- Feb 6, 2007
- 2,056
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Call your vet, they will take the bird and send it on to the state for necropsy.
How long since you last wormed and what did you use? Have you ever taken a fecal in to be checked for the type of parasites? Sometimes the simplest things can be the answer.
There is also the question of contaminated feed, whether straight from the bag or them picking it up from the ground. Start checking the most obvious things and eliminating them as the possibility for the deaths.
Are the birds losing weight?
Keep in mind when you start screaming for help you need to do more than ask a generalized question like you did. Folks can talk all day about Mareks and not be any where near what the trouble is your birds are actually having.
How long since you last wormed and what did you use? Have you ever taken a fecal in to be checked for the type of parasites? Sometimes the simplest things can be the answer.
There is also the question of contaminated feed, whether straight from the bag or them picking it up from the ground. Start checking the most obvious things and eliminating them as the possibility for the deaths.
Are the birds losing weight?
Keep in mind when you start screaming for help you need to do more than ask a generalized question like you did. Folks can talk all day about Mareks and not be any where near what the trouble is your birds are actually having.
I know that this is an old thread, but there was a question regarding where to take or send your bird for a necropsy. Here is the website where you can get a necropsy done free of charge.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/birdbiosecurity/
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/birdbiosecurity/
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