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

[KAT Bird]

My vaccine is manufactured by Pfizer.  It is Serotype 3 Live virus.

The vaccine produced by Merial is Serotype 2 Live Virus.

I cannot find any info on the manufacturing process of either one.  I wonder if one Serotype is more effective in protecting birds that the other.  

.

In terms of vaccine protection, I understand it to be:

Best (Rispens CVI 988 Strain + HVT)

Better (HVT + SB-1)

Good (HVT)

Until a better vaccine becomes available.

 

[KAT Bird]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24621515

This is an interesting article related to the use of antiviral medication. They extracted a compound from Danshen, which can be purchased as a natural supplement. It sounds like they don't completely understand how it works yet, but it appears to inhibit the viruses ability to replicate.

 

[seminolewind]

What is Danshen?

 

[seminolewind]

I was reading about protein and happened to have an "ahhhh" moment. You need protein to build antibodies. I wonder if higher protein would help in some way.

 

[mightymax]

That's a VERY good question that I'd like to know the answer to also !!!
My only question is whether or not there comes a point when no matter how much additional protein you add, the blood level remains the same. Like if a chicken's system can process only so much protein within a certain time frame and any amount over that saturation level is just excreted as a non essential by product. IDK, but it'd sure be worth experimenting around with don't you think?

-kim-

 

[Sonya9]

What is Danshen?

It is a Chinese herb. I saw that article about Danshen and Mareks too, honestly the fact the writers of the article were all Chinese made me a bit skeptical.

 

[ochochicas]

All good questions! I know in mammals too much protein is hard on the kidneys. It is probably the same case in birds.

 

[seminolewind]

Here's my final report on a one year old BO hen who arrived with others a year ago with 10 others, all hatchery vaccinated. They were raised for 3 weeks in my spare room and tended to with gown and scrubbed hands. Then they went into a hutch with a wire floor on my patio for another 3 weeks. At 6 weeks they went into a pen in the area of the rest of the flock. The hen in question was the only one who Corid .
They have lived in an open pen since 6 weeks old.

PCR velogenic primer/probe set is mandated and samples will be sent to NVSL for confirmation and further analysis. This test was developed by USDA for surveillance and is validated in poultry and wild waterfowl.
Virology Specimen Test Name Buff Orpington Hen - AVIAN - Chicken - Orpington - Female - 1 Years Multiple Tissues - Fresh Tissue - 3 Send Out (V.SENDOUT) (Test Performed at TVMDL) 3/5/15: Marek's Disease Virus (PCR-MDV-PCR): Positive This positive result could be due to vaccination or infection.


Necropsy Interpretive Summary chickens are the most important natural host for Marek's disease virus, a highly cell-associated but readily transmitted alpha herpesvirus with lymphotropic properties of gamma herpesviruses. The disease is highly contagious and readily transmitted among chickens. The virus matures into a fully infective, enveloped form in the epithelium of the feather follicle, from which it is released into the environment. It may survive for months in poultry house litter or dust. Dust or dander from infected chickens is particularly effective in transmission. Once the virus is introduced into a chicken flock, regardless of vaccination status, infection spreads quickly from bird to bird. Infected chickens continue to be carriers for long periods and act as sources of infectious virus. Shedding of infectious virus can be reduced, but not prevented, by prior vaccination. Unlike virulent strains of Marek's disease virus, which are highly contagious, turkey herpesvirus is not readily transmissible among chickens (although it is easily transmitted among turkeys, its natural host). Attenuated Marek's disease virus strains vary greatly in their transmissibility among chickens; the most highly attenuated are not transmitted. Marek's disease virus is not vertically transmitted. Vaccination is the central strategy for the prevention and control of Marek's disease. The efficacy of vaccines can be improved, however, by strict sanitation to reduce or delay exposure and by breeding for genetic resistance Vaccines are also effective when administered to embryos at the 18th day of incubation. In ovo vaccination is now performed by automated technology and is widely used for vaccination of commercial broiler chickens, mainly because of reduced labor costs and greater precision of vaccine administration. under typical conditions, vaccine efficacy is usually >90%.
Bulletin(s) Effective December 19, 2014 we are no longer performing Drug Screening or Toxicology analyses. Please contact us at

 

[seminolewind]

With the protein, too much is not good either since it taxes the kidneys. I wonder if vaccinated chicks use up more protein if they are building antibodies in much larger and faster amounts than a normal chick. So the higher protein would be used up and not affect the kidneys.

But what is the golden number? I think most chick feed is 18% and I would not know how to give 20% unless I use flock raiser, which is more protein. We add vitamins and probiotics for preventative measures, but I think one more important supplement to consider is higher protein since that's a pretty big part of prevention/higher resistance. The higher protein (20-22%) may also help protect against immunosuppression related illnesses that are secondary to Marek's exposure.

Just food for thought .

 

[seminolewind]

All good questions! I know in mammals too much protein is hard on the kidneys. It is probably the same case in birds.

It is. I am thinking the extra protein the exposed chickens may need whether to fight the virus or secondary ailments (antibodies) may be utilized prior to affecting the kidneys.