2023-12-15 17:53:14
MDV, which had circulated for centuries without causing serious infection, now kills 90% of contaminated poultry. This turning point coincides with the intensification of poultry farming (here, a breeding farm, in Handan, China). Costfoto/CFOTO/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
DECRYPTION – In just a few generations, a mild infection in chickens has become one of the most dangerous for chickens.
Many viruses evolve in our ecosystem. Some are pathogenic and cause disease, others are harmless. Very often, pathogenic viruses have not always been pathogenic. No need for manipulation in an ultra-secure P4 laboratory to evolve a virus: this ability to make its host sick is generally acquired naturally during its evolutionary history. New work carried out by teams from the University of Oxford and the Louis-et-Maximilien University of Munich, in the magazine Science , tell us for example the very instructive story of a chicken virus: MDV. In just a few generations, this benign virus transformed into a formidable pathogen, causing Marek’s disease, one of the most serious avian pathologies recorded on our farms. Despite vaccination being widely practiced for forty years, this virus continues to circulate, with a significant economic impact worldwide.
Also read: The incredible success of domesticating chickens
To understand…
This article is reserved for subscribers. You have 78% left to discover.
Do you want to read more?
Unlock all items immediately.
Already subscribed? Log in
#Breeding #defies #laws #natural #selection #favors #deadliest #viruses