Neoplastic Diseases of Chicken
Marek's Disease (MD)
Poultry Pathology(Path-611)
Dr. Muhammad Kashif Saleemi
DVM PhD
Associate Professor (Tenured)
Member NDCC
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science,
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
, Introduction and History
◼ Neoplastic diseases can be of infectious or non-infectious origin.
◼ Unlike in human medicine where the vast majority of cancers are
non-infectious, most of the neoplastic diseases affecting poultry
have a viral etiology
◼ Marek’s disease (MD), and retrovirus-induced avian
leukoses/sarcoma and reticuloendotheliosis
◼ Morrow and Fehler quoted worldwide annual losses in the range
of US $1 to $2 billion
, Introduction and History
◼ Marek’s disease (MD) is a common lymphoproliferative disease of
chickens characterized by mononuclear cellular infiltrates in
peripheral nerves and various other organs and tissues including
iris and skin.
◼ The disease is caused by a herpesvirus
◼ It is transmissible, and can be distinguished etiologically from
other lymphoid neoplasms of birds
◼ József Marek identified the disease as polyneuritis.
◼ Other common synonyms included neuritis, neurolymphomatosis
gallinarum, and range paralysis.
◼ In 1961, Biggs proposed the term Marek’s disease to distinguish
the condition clearly from etiologically different lymphoproliferative
diseases
Marek's Disease (MD)
Poultry Pathology(Path-611)
Dr. Muhammad Kashif Saleemi
DVM PhD
Associate Professor (Tenured)
Member NDCC
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science,
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
, Introduction and History
◼ Neoplastic diseases can be of infectious or non-infectious origin.
◼ Unlike in human medicine where the vast majority of cancers are
non-infectious, most of the neoplastic diseases affecting poultry
have a viral etiology
◼ Marek’s disease (MD), and retrovirus-induced avian
leukoses/sarcoma and reticuloendotheliosis
◼ Morrow and Fehler quoted worldwide annual losses in the range
of US $1 to $2 billion
, Introduction and History
◼ Marek’s disease (MD) is a common lymphoproliferative disease of
chickens characterized by mononuclear cellular infiltrates in
peripheral nerves and various other organs and tissues including
iris and skin.
◼ The disease is caused by a herpesvirus
◼ It is transmissible, and can be distinguished etiologically from
other lymphoid neoplasms of birds
◼ József Marek identified the disease as polyneuritis.
◼ Other common synonyms included neuritis, neurolymphomatosis
gallinarum, and range paralysis.
◼ In 1961, Biggs proposed the term Marek’s disease to distinguish
the condition clearly from etiologically different lymphoproliferative
diseases
