Not an Emergency...Marek's in the Flock

[pysankigirl]

Interestingly enough, it was the study of Marek's disease in poultry and the development of a vaccine for it that led to the development of cancer vaccines for humans. Marek's vaccine was the first effective cancer vaccine for any species.

That's pretty cool, actually.

 

[Nambroth]

Nambroth, do you have any links on that? That doesn't surprize me one bit! It's funny how these things work and usully all it takes is thinking outside the box now and then. If I remember correctly...Newcastle vaccine is another one they are testing for human cancer treatment. Haven't looked at that in a while though so no idea where the testing is right now.

I've been asked to take part in a 'show and tell' for chickens and am thinking about having information on Marek's. So many people have no clue what it is and why they should vaccinate against it. I thought this may be a way of getting it out there. Since it was the TSC manager who approached me and one of his employees putting it together, it should draw people in. Here's the email below. That's why I am asking about any links you might have about the cancer, ect.. In fact I'd welcome anything anyone had. I'd like this as well rounded as possible so it will be something people can understand and realize it could be them.

I used to have a good scientific paper bookmarked but the last time I updated Firefox, it nuked my bookmarks. I was so angry! I wish I could find it for you again.

Here is an abstract that mentions it being the first vaccine in any species that is effective against a viral-based cancer:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15757475

The following page is written by an individual and as such cannot take the place of a complete scientific paper, but they seem to know what they are talking about:
http://www.thecuckoopoultrystudofaustralia.com/mareks-disease.html

 

[Nambroth]

Also for those reading, it is important to remember there is a difference between viral cancers and the more common cancers seen in humans. A "cancer vaccine" at the time of writing this, can only build resistance to a virus that causes some types of cancers (example: papillomavirus which can lead to some types of cancerous growth). It cannot in any way cure or stop other types of cancers. I think most people have been touched by cancer in their family and the last thing I want is to give false hope.

 

[Haunted55]

I used to have a good scientific paper bookmarked but the last time I updated Firefox, it nuked my bookmarks. I was so angry! I wish I could find it for you again.

Here is an abstract that mentions it being the first vaccine in any species that is effective against a viral-based cancer:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15757475

The following page is written by an individual and as such cannot take the place of a complete scientific paper, but they seem to know what they are talking about:
http://www.thecuckoopoultrystudofaustralia.com/mareks-disease.html

I know that feeling Nambroth!!! Oh do I ever. Last year I started a notebook on all that was going on here and everything done. I had even hand written all of the links addys in case of what happened to you. What I hadn't planned on was my book developing legs and coming up missing. Most of it is still in my head, but exact dates are lost, some of the links and contact information for some of the people who worked with me. that's why you see me make statements like...I seem to remember..or I think this is how it's done....they sound so stupid but my head's all I have left of some of that hard won info. Ah well....

Thanks for the links! The first I did not have, the second I did.

I'd also like to call attention to another thread here on BYC...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-in-the-same-spot-all-day-long-and-is-panting

This is a bit strange to say the least....Either the girl's Vet is a genius and has found a magic elixer or the bird never had Marek's to begin with. If you haven't already seen it, it's worth a read. And yes Casportpony....I have always wanted to see that river, lol!

 

[seminolewind]

Quote: Double Wow!!!!

 

[pysankigirl]

So she is looking better...dare I hope? I sent her blood off on Thursday and wormed her on Saturday. been putting Vitamins in her water....also got the Mareks vaccine in the mail yesterday. so I went ahead and inoculated my whole flock, including her this morning.

She is able to walk around a bit on relatively uncurled feet and even tried perching on the side of the container I put her in while I was cleaning out her bathtub. so I made her a roost and she is perching on it!!!!

 

[Nambroth]

I know that feeling Nambroth!!! Oh do I ever. Last year I started a notebook on all that was going on here and everything done. I had even hand written all of the links addys in case of what happened to you. What I hadn't planned on was my book developing legs and coming up missing. Most of it is still in my head, but exact dates are lost, some of the links and contact information for some of the people who worked with me. that's why you see me make statements like...I seem to remember..or I think this is how it's done....they sound so stupid but my head's all I have left of some of that hard won info. Ah well....

Thanks for the links! The first I did not have, the second I did.

I'd also like to call attention to another thread here on BYC...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-in-the-same-spot-all-day-long-and-is-panting

This is a bit strange to say the least....Either the girl's Vet is a genius and has found a magic elixer or the bird never had Marek's to begin with. If you haven't already seen it, it's worth a read. And yes Casportpony....I have always wanted to see that river, lol!

It's important to note, sort of a trivia thing really as it doesn't necessarily help us today, but Marek's hit the poultry industry hard. The key words here are the poultry industry. They were losing hundreds of thousands of dollars if not more to this disease, and I seem to recall reading that it was severe enough that there were concerns that it would end commercial chicken raising the way we (knew) it back then. So there was a lot of money tied up with getting a vaccine out there. Sadly that is the big motivator.
We are not likely to see such innovation in poultry medicine again until the industry starts to have problems with mutations and their current 3-strain vaccine starts to fail more widely. As some of us know, that is starting to happen, but it may be a while before they see it in the industry because they tend to be "all in - all out" situations there, with less ways to introduce a mutation.

It is a complex, and sometimes dangerous game we play, fighting viruses this way!

Also that thread is a little strange. Something is not adding up, there. Especially with the blood test!

 

[Haunted55]

It's important to note, sort of a trivia thing really as it doesn't necessarily help us today, but Marek's hit the poultry industry hard. The key words here are the poultry industry. They were losing hundreds of thousands of dollars if not more to this disease, and I seem to recall reading that it was severe enough that there were concerns that it would end commercial chicken raising the way we (knew) it back then. So there was a lot of money tied up with getting a vaccine out there. Sadly that is the big motivator.
We are not likely to see such innovation in poultry medicine again until the industry starts to have problems with mutations and their current 3-strain vaccine starts to fail more widely. As some of us know, that is starting to happen, but it may be a while before they see it in the industry because they tend to be "all in - all out" situations there, with less ways to introduce a mutation.

It is a complex, and sometimes dangerous game we play, fighting viruses this way!

Also that thread is a little strange. Something is not adding up, there. Especially with the blood test!

I agree, as I said in an earlier post on that thread, I wasn't aware of a definitive test a Vet could do in their office, especially if the bird was already vaccinated against Marek's. But, hope springs eternal and until I saw the picture, I would have said worm or vitamin problem not Marek's.

With the vaccines, I completely agree with you! There are more 'experts' claiming no one should vaccinate chickens against Marek's and just let the strongest survive. Looks good on paper and I can even understand the line of thought, but to what end? Really, how would it work to stop the mutations? In a layman's analogy, herpes is like the common cold or the flu. Every person it touches may have some of the same symptoms but normally it will change just a little bit as it is passed on to the next person. You get hit with the upper respiratory symptoms, me, I get hit with the intestinal. Same exact virus but somewhere along the line it's mutated enough to hit different receptors in the body. Sooo, how do they think that removing the vaccines is going to stop mutations of the virus? I've asked this question and got no answer.

 

[ten chicks]

I found some interesting info.on the use,storage and preparation of vaccine. Some graphic photos. http://www.canadianpoultry.ca/cms_pdfs/MarekTroubleShootingMontiel1081905.pdf. Sorry link is not working now. Will try and repost

 

[ten chicks]

I found some interesting info.on the use,storage and preparation of vaccine. Some graphic photos. New link www.canadianpoultry.ca Once on this site,go to Disease Profiles then select, Mareks Disease: Troubleshooting an outbreak an vaccine handling PDF File