Ocular Mareks?

MD

Chirping
Mar 21, 2011
43
9
77
San Mateo, CA
A friend is moving and rehoming her flock, and gave me one of her cream legbars. I’ve kept the hen in quarantine in the garage, but this morning I realized that she has an oddly-shaped pupil which does not dilate, and immediately thought Mareks. Thoughts?
Normal left eye:
A0ACC2DA-97FB-4042-B16E-A9D457DAEE25.jpeg


Abnormal right eye:
063A26E2-6730-4800-82FD-36A52563CE4E.jpeg
7FB1EDF2-1DBC-43C5-817E-A25BE066DBD5.jpeg


I know I should have done a better health check before bringing her onto my property, and I’m kicking myself, but she’s here now and I’m wondering what to do. For all that she’s been quarantined, I know it’s likely I’ve already spread dander everywhere (including taking these photos outside in the light like an idiot, I know). She has no other symptoms: eating, drinking, alert, normal poops. I have no experience with Mareks, but my girls are vaccinated. My friend doesn’t remember whether this hen was vaccinated, so I’m assuming not. Hope everyone who reads this learns from my mistakes, and asks the important questions in the future.
 
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Can you return her to your friend and inform her that she should not be rehoming her birds unless she tells people that her birds could be carriers of Mareks disease? That is what I would do. I think there could be a good chance that the chicken has ocular Mareks. I would then order some Virkon S tablets from Amazon, and use those in water to disinfect the areas where the chicken has been. There is a blood test that you can get from a Texas lab for $20 to do a pcr test to look for Mareks if you can get a vet to collect the sample. Here are some links to read:
http://virkon.com/products-applications/disinfectants/virkon-s-tablets/

https://ucanr.edu/sites/poultry/files/246963.pdf

http://www.vetdna.com/feedback
 
I’ve asked her to take the bird back, but this is super helpful for the rest of my flock’s safety. Thank you!
 

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