Marek's disease in turkeys. I. A seven-year survey of commercial flocks and experimental infection using two field isolates

• Published in: Avian diseases Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 314 - 321
• Main Authors: Davidson, I, Malkinson, M, Weisman, Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.04.2002
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Viral - analysis; Chickens; Diagnosis, Differential; Disease Outbreaks - veterinary; disease prevalence; DNA, Viral - blood; DNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; experimental infections; Herpesvirus 2, Gallid - genetics; Herpesvirus 2, Gallid - immunology; Herpesvirus 2, Gallid - isolation & purification; Herpesvirus 2, Gallid - pathogenicity; hosts; Israel - epidemiology; Kidney - virology; Liver - virology; Mardivirus; Marek disease; Marek Disease - diagnosis; Marek Disease - epidemiology; Marek Disease - pathology; neoplasms; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; Prevalence; Spleen - virology; strain differences; strains; surveys; Turkeys; Virulence; Israel
• ISSN: 0005-2086; 1938-4351
• DOI: 10.1637/0005-2086(2002)046[0314:MSDITI]2.0.CO;2

Marek's disease virus (MDV) causes immunosuppression and tumors in chickens, but the turkey is an unusual host for the virus, and tumors caused by MDV in turkeys are unique. We describe the prevalence of turkey tumors in Israel between 1993 and 2000, their molecular diagnosis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the natural distribution of herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT). Most clinical cases with tumors in commercial turkeys were diagnosed as MDV. The reproduction of Marek's disease (MD) in turkeys by two turkey MDV strains, Ar and La, was analyzed, and it was shown that these strains can induce tumors in experimental trials. The severity of experimental disease differed from those features of the original outbreak, since a less severe disease was recorded.