So, Vet says its Mareks. Now what do we do?

[Megs]

it is exceptionally difficult to learn about this disease as every site says something different, i have read that for sure it can be passed from parent through egg to chick on some sites, and on others that it cant be.

my vet told me it only lives for 10 days once birds are removed from premesis (climate here atm is about 5-15*)

 

[PortageGirl]

We have some excellent and very knowlegable people here, at least one vet in fact who regularly helps people whenever they can… but between your first and second posts only 20 minutes passed. That is not a very long period of time, and while I understand that you are undoubtedly stressed out over this, people here need a little time to see and react to things. Again, I know you are worried, but please try to have a little patience.

I wish I could help you more, but I second the folks who said don't panic, hopefully we'll (and I mean 'we' in the very broadest sense of the word) will be able to help you figure this out.

//edit// I did find that it isn't actually transmitted via ovum at all.. some resistance IS passed to chicks, but that is not a lasting resistance, only lasts to about 12 wks. I guess I'll be getting the vaccine to innoculate any chicks I hatch myself from now on, I thought it was a permanent resistance.

 

[loralei]

Wow Prairie Chicks! You are dealing with a lot! And I am so sorry for what you are going thru! Please know you have come to the right place. There are a lot of wonderfully kind and knowledgable folks here that will help you to the best of their ability. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your flock!

Laura

 

[vangela]

hello there, you might come acros my own posting ( today )with similar problem? not know yet what it is.
I feel so sorry for you.
my chick, sitting in the dog carrier, without the top so she watches me and looks outside the window, but unable to walk far and showing spasms.
What does one do from here?
Thanks to all that have already given good advise. we learn from each other and hopefully we can pass some knowledge on.
I thank all the wonderfull people that are responding to this difficult problem.

 

[Megs]

vangela- sory to hear about your chick

seems at this point euthing him/her might be your best option.

http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/2005/Spring/mareks.htm
new site i found to read up on mereks, hopefully it is accurate, it seems a good read to me.

from my findings (hopefully correct) it is not passed via egg (though other sources say otherwise),

from my reading it seems you CAN keep vaccinated birds with unvaccinated birds with little threat to either, it seems vaccinated chickens do not shed the virus, and the vaccine protects them 90% effectively against it.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Quote:
I've had to investigate Marek's too - I had one hen get sleepy, lose the ability to walk, and then eventually die. I did an at-home necropsy because our university charges $200 for one - no free ones here - and the necropsy was inconclusive - no tumors seen - no liver damage, but kidneys were odd. This was 1 hen out of 18. She had her first symptoms over a month ago and the other 17 are still healthy & happy. My local avian vet told me not to worry about it - he said if I started losing more chickens, then I should get an official necropsy. He has 40 chickens of his own and said it's common to lose one every once in a while - some chickens are just not strong enough.

From what I read about Marek's - It is everywhere and most flocks have it, even if the flock owners are unaware. Vaccinated chickens get the disease also, but the vaccinated chickens are unlikely to come down with symptoms. In other words; The vaccine doesn't prevent Marek's disease - it helps to prevents illness & death from Marek's (which is a good thing).

You said the person had her chick tested and it came back positive for Marek's. Did the chick die? How old was it? Even if it was vaccinated, it's still possible for it to get symptoms, just much more unlikely. Was your hen that is now lame vaccinated also, or is she one that came from somewhere else?

If you have vaccinated your chicks, there's nothing else you can do. If you only lose the one hen, I don't think I'd worry about it. If you start losing more, then you should get it checked out. Your eggs are fine to continue selling - Marek's is not transeferable to eggs.

None of my chickens have been vaccinated for Marek's - I bought most of them from the local feedstore and they do not sell vaccinated chicks. I don't think any of the feedstores sell vaccinated chicks because it would lower their profit margin.

The one chicken of mine that got sick (don't know if it's Marek's or some kind of poisoning, etc). was a purebred splash orp (not from a hatchery) that I hatched from an egg. I don't know if it was more susceptible or if it had some kind of predispostion to problems, or just a coincidence that that's the one I lost? None of my 17 hatchery chickens have had any type of illness or injury.

 

[Prairie Chicks]

Update;

My one sick hen died. the paralasis moved up her body to her neck, she was dead a day later. Another bird, a Mille Fleur d'Uccle roo started the same symptoms, and is now dead. I found a dead chicken in the coop today. NO symptoms.

I dont know what to do. All the info I can find says there is no cure or treatment for mareks. The bird lives or dies, and is forever a carrier.

Now there is sneezing and Barking coughs all around me! AAAAaaarrrghhhh!

I know the sneezing and cough is not related to the mareks, it is just so frustrating to have it all happening now, when water is freezing over night, and I have to change the 'ice blocks' daily to keep the med working.

I appreciate everybodies input on the Mareks. I have done a lot of reading, and am still holding to the opinion, that it is a lot more prevalent than most people realize. I will continue to have all my birds vaccinated, and after every thing is calmed down, and healthy again. I will get a fresh NPIP Card, and in the spring sell my chicks again, but I wont be selling the older birds. I dont want to pass this on to the next person. It is heart breaking to watch.

Thanks again to everyone.

 

[horsejody]

If you get vaccinated birds from a hatchery, just be sure to have a strict quarantine on them for at least 10 days. Sanitize the brooders and all equipment before using them.
During the quarantine:
Keep the babies indoors or in a building that has never housed older birds.
Don't wear the same clothes or shoes around the babies that you wore in the coop.
Don't take the babies outside.
Wash your hands before handling them.

A properly vaccinated and quarantined chicken will not be a carrier and will have immunity. The vaccine does prevent the disease if it's handled properly. Problems of vaccinated birds getting the disease is due to improper vaccination or quarantine. The virus in the vaccine is different than the actual Marek's virus. It's similar enough to give immunity. The problems arise when a chick is vaccinated and then exposed to the virus before full immunity is achieved. If a chick is exposed to the marek's virus within that 10 day peiod after vaccination, the virus may cause the bird to be a carrier. The disease may or may not manifest itself. If it does, the bird will have milder symptoms because it has partial immunity. If a person goes to the effort of exercizing a proper quarantine, this is not a problem because the bird is completely immune. Vaccinating chicks that have been already exposed or chicks that aren't going to be strictly quarantined is a practice that is very irresponsible because it creates partially immune super carriers. I've done a lot of research on this. I have talked to the vets at the vaccine labs and research vets at state universities. The problem isn't with the vaccine. The reason so many vaccinated chicks still get the disease (in a milder form) is because people get day old chicks and put them in the brooder inside the coop or hold them while wearing the same shirt they had on when they were just handling their older birds that are carrying the virus. It is important to QUARANTINE QUARANTINE QUARANTINE!!!!!!!!