Marek’s Disease in Backyard Poultry
Gallid Herpesvirus-2, also known as Marek’s disease (MD), is an oncogenic virus that causes Marek’s lymphomas in chickens. There are four different clinical syndromes of MD that can present either alone or in combination: cutaneous, neural, ocular, and visceral. Two chickens from different backyard flocks presented for necropsy at Cornell’s Animal Health and Diagnostic Center. The first, a 2.5 month old, Wyandotte Brahma cross layer, had a history of depression, lethargy, and paresis. Euthanasia was elected for further post-mortem evaluation. Necropsy and histopathological examinations revealed a diffuse visceral lymphoma with a pleomorphic cell population. A positive PCR for GHV-2 further supported the diagnosis of Marek’s lymphoma. The second chicken, a 7 week old Black Copper Maran hen, displayed signs of unilateral leg paralysis. There were no gross abnormalities on necropsy exam except for mild unilateral sciatic nerve enlargement. Histopathology revealed a lymphocytic pleomorphic cell population in the nerve, brain, and lung. Immunohistochemistry confirmed a diagnosis of MD, along with a positive PCR assay.