Abstract
Marek’s disease (MD) is caused by an oncogenic alphaherpesvirus, a common lymphoproliferative inducing agent usually characterized by mononuclear cellular infiltrates, mostly T-cell lymphomas in various visceral organs and peripheral nerves. The genome is linear and made up of double-stranded DNA molecules of nearly 160–180 kb in size. This was first reported by Dr. József Marek in the year 1907. Various pathotypes exist, and pathotyping is generally done based on the pathology the particular isolate induces in vaccinated and unvaccinated chickens and on their ability to overcome the effects of vaccination. Several avian species including both domesticated and wild birds are susceptible to Marek’s disease, and genetic susceptibility/resistance to MD is well characterized in chickens. The disease is highly contagious, and the transmission occurs mainly by the airborne route. The host responds to MDV infection by mounting both innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. The incidence of Marek’s disease is variable depending upon the pathotype and host susceptibility. Nerve lesions and visceral lymphomas are the prime pathologic changes noticed in MD. In the field, diagnosis is primarily based on the clinical signs and postmortem lesions. Apart from the above methods, virus isolation, identification of various viral markers in tissues, genomic detection assays (PCR, qPCR, nested PCR), and antibody detection (ELISA) aid in diagnosis of MD. Some of the strains used for vaccination are HVT, SB-1, and CVI988. Vaccination against MDV using these strains offers good protection. Despite effective vaccination regime, MD continues to be a threat to the industry due to the evolution of newer pathotypes. Thus, genetic resistance and strict biosecurity measures will be very critical adjuncts to vaccination in controlling the disease.
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Mariappan, A.K., Munuswamy, P., Reddy, M.R., Singh, S.D., Dhama, K. (2019). Marek’s Disease Virus. In: Malik, Y., Singh, R., Yadav, M. (eds) Recent Advances in Animal Virology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9073-9_6
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