Please help. Vet has no idea

[pugspigchicks]

A bacterial infection...strange. I hope the antibiotics work.

I hope so. The avian expert my vet consulted is director of the Texas A&M Veterinary medical diagnostic lab. I’m not sure that diagnosis explains all of her symptoms but he said he didn’t think it was Mareks.

 

[Kiki]

I hope so. The avian expert my vet consulted is director of the Texas A&M Veterinary medical diagnostic lab. I’m not sure that diagnosis explains all of her symptoms but he said he didn’t think it was Mareks.

It's very hard for anyone, even a vet to diagnose something over the internet.
Hopefully your bird pulls through, should she not are you aware you can send her body for a necropsy straight to A & M?

 

[pugspigchicks]

It's very hard for anyone, even a vet to diagnose something over the internet.
Hopefully your bird pulls through, should she not are you aware you can send her body for a necropsy straight to A & M?

Yes thank you. I will send her if that happens. I’m cautiously optimistic. I said I’d never go to these measures again after losing my first chicken but I’m a sucker for sickness (I’m a nurse). Thanks for your help.

 

[Kiki]

Yes thank you. I will send her if that happens. I’m cautiously optimistic. I said I’d never go to these measures again after losing my first chicken but I’m a sucker for sickness (I’m a nurse). Thanks for your help.

May I ask what happened to your first chicken?

 

[pugspigchicks]

She was a rescue Silkie named Storm. She had what appeared to be a heat stroke (it was 100 degrees) but then what I honestly thought was Mareks. Couldn’t hold her neck up, unilateral paralysis with attempted walking (dragging her leg). She wouldn’t eat or drink so I tube fed her for 2 weeks and she ended up with aspiration pneumonia and my husband had to euthanize her. The vet thought it was Mareks or B1 deficiency when I took her in initially. This was a year ago. I didn’t do necropsy. No other sick birds. Only my new 4 spring chicks have been vaccinated for Mareks. I have 13 total. I’m not convinced my sweet Darla doesn’t have Mareks but the vet here sees a lot of chickens (pretty common pet where we live) and she looks very different than Storm.

 

[Kiki]

You are aware the the vaccine doesn't prevent the disease right?

 

[pugspigchicks]

You are aware the the vaccine doesn't prevent the disease right?

I read it was 95% effective in studies? Is that not true? My vet said vaccinated birds rarely get symptoms but can be carriers?

 

[Kiki]

Was this bird vaccinated as a day old chick AND keep in a for sure Marek's free environment for the first few weeks of life?


It depends on the strain.
"However, the vaccine effectiveness drops to zero with an increased amount of contamination with a middle virulence MDV strain." from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24267877



A good read:
This chicken vaccine makes its virus more dangerous | PBS NewsHour

https://www.zoetisus.com/_locale-assets/mcm-portal-assets/msds_pi/pi/md-vac_cfl.pdf

 

[pugspigchicks]

Was this bird vaccinated as a day old chick AND keep in a for sure Marek's free environment for the first few weeks of life?


It depends on the strain.
"However, the vaccine effectiveness drops to zero with an increased amount of contamination with a middle virulence MDV strain." from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24267877



A good read:
This chicken vaccine makes its virus more dangerous | PBS NewsHour

https://www.zoetisus.com/_locale-assets/mcm-portal-assets/msds_pi/pi/md-vac_cfl.pdf
View attachment 1498764

Yes vaccinated within 24 hours and not exposed to my yard or other chickens for over 2 weeks. Thanks for the links!

 

[rebrascora]

Did you also practice strict biosecurity during that time? Infected Marek's dander dust can be carried on clothes, shoes, hair and skin. If you tended your other birds and then tended the chicks you could easily have introduced the Marek's virus to the chicks before the vaccine had time to take effect. Silkies are very prone to Marek's so it is highly likely that is what your rescue bird had. The disease has these long spells between outbreaks. It can be several months or even an annual event as chicks reach the vulnerable age.
I hope the director of your Texas lab is correct but the circumstances are pointing more to Marek's with that information you just provided about the rescue silkie.