Conference is all about the chicks

Experts from across the world will flock to Townsville next week to attend a conference on a cancer-causing virus in poultry.

Up to 100 virologists will attend the 8th International Marek’s Disease Symposium, held at the Rydges Hotel Southbank, on July 6 to 10.

The event, staged every four years, is being coordinated by Reader Dr Graham Burgess, of the JCU School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences.

“This is a bit of a coup for us,” he said. “It has been an international team effort. We’ve all got very busy schedules and it’s been a slog but I think we have managed to put together a fascinating and thought-provoking program.”

Leading scientists will attend the event to hear the latest update on the status of Marek’s disease, a herpes virus shed from the feather follicles of infected birds.

The virus spreads rapidly to unvaccinated poultry through inhaled infected dust particles. An infected chicken becomes immunosuppressed for a short while so is susceptible to a wide range of diseases. The chronic form of the disease can manifest itself as tumours and the bird eventually dies from leukaemia.

“Marek’s disease is an ongoing problem the world over,” said Dr Burgess. “The cost is either through the vaccine or dead birds. It is a constant drain on the industry.

“We are going to have to have some very innovative ways of doing things because with each new vaccine the virulence of the virus jumps up. We are due another jump.”

Dr Burgess and his team have compiled a program featuring both academic and social activities.

Scientists at the forefront of research on this disease will contribute to discussions on the current situation with Marek’s disease, immune response in the chicken, the generic aspects of the evolution of pathogen virulence and the new approaches to vaccine design and their revolutionary delivery systems.

“The Marek’s research community has made excellent progress on understanding the mechanisms by which this herpesvirus is able to initiate tumours,” said Dr Burgess. “The entire virus has been cloned into a vector that will grow in bacteria. This allows individual genes to be modified, removed or added to provide tools to study the function of each of the genes.”

Issued: July 4, 2008

Media inquiries: Graham Burgess (07) 4781 5472.