eprintid: 1446
rev_number: 7
eprint_status: archive
userid: 3
source: Scopus
dir: disk0/00/00/14/46
datestamp: 2025-12-26 07:43:22
lastmod: 2025-12-26 07:43:22
status_changed: 2025-12-26 07:43:22
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Kaboudi, Khaled
creators_name: Mkadem, Emna
creators_name: Amara, Abdelkader
creators_id: khaled.kaboudi@enmv.uma.tn
title: Prevalence, Gross Pathology, and Histopathology of Marek’s Disease in Backyard Chickens in Northeastern Tunisia
ispublished: pub
subjects: SF
divisions: j10
full_text_status: public
keywords: Backyard chickens; Clinical examination; Histopathology; Lymphoma; Marek’s disease; Postmortem examination
abstract: Marek’s disease (MD) is a common worldwide lymphomatous and neuropathic disease of chickens. Infection can cause significant losses in chicken production due to high mortality and morbidity. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of MD in backyard flocks in the Grand-Tunis region of northeastern Tunisia and to analyze clinical cases over an eight-year and three-month period, from September 2012 to December 2020. A total of 798 cases were received for necropsy examination in the avian clinic of the National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, Tunisia. Among these, chicks suspected of having MD underwent clinical observation, postmortem examination, and histopathological analysis. The results showed that 61 chickens (7.64) were suspected to have MD. Clinical and postmortem examinations revealed different forms of MD including visceral (31 cases), mixed (20 cases), and nervous forms (10 cases). Postmortem examinations showed two types of lesions including hypertrophy and lymphomatous tumors. The highest frequencies of lesions were noted in the liver (74), spleen (62), sciatic nerves (48), lungs (36), and kidneys (31). Hypertrophy predominated in the spleen (49), sciatic nerves (48), liver (28), kidneys (25), lungs (21), proventriculus (18), and gonads (17). Conversely, lymphomatous tumors were more frequently observed in the liver (46), heart (23), lungs (15), and spleen (13). Histopathological investigations revealed pleomorphic infiltrations with lymphocytes and plasmocytes in visceral organs, sciatic nerves, and the skin. High histological scores were recorded in the liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and heart. The current study confirmed endemic MD in backyard chicken populations in Grand-Tunis région and confirmed that it can be a serious threat to poultry health in the study area. © The Author(s) 2025
date: 2025-03-25
publication: Journal of World's Poultry Research
volume: 15
number: 1
publisher: Scienceline Publication
pagerange: 81- 91
id_number: 10.36380/jwpr.2025.8
refereed: TRUE
issn: 2322-455X
official_url: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105002668568&doi=10.36380%2fjwpr.2025.8&partnerID=40&md5=3c8926c5156d4a9c3faec624308a096c
j_index: scopus
citation:    (2025)     Prevalence, Gross Pathology, and Histopathology of Marek’s Disease in Backyard Chickens in Northeastern Tunisia.   Journal of World's Poultry Research.  81- 91.  ISSN 2322-455X   
document_url: http://eprints.science-line.com/id/eprint/1446/1/JWPR15%281%2981-91%2C2025%20%282%29.pdf