Marek disease is a highly contagious and viral neoplastic disease in chickens caused by an alphaherpesvirus known as Gallid alphaherpesvirus 2 or Marek's disease virus. Signs and symptoms include skin around feather follicles raised and roughened, vision impairment, grey iris or irregular pupil, loss of weight, paralysis of legs, wings and neck, etc. However, there is no cure for this disease. There is only prevention and management of this disease as it spreads through chicken dander and dust, and thus, it is important to maintain a good condition within enclosures. The Marek disease market is witnessing robust growth due to the rising concerns of the disease in poultry-dense regions.
Poultry meat and eggs are among the most widely consumed animal-based foods. For instance, in 2020, the consumption of poultry meat in India was found to be over 3.9 million metric tons. Moreover, the consumption of poultry in the United States reached around 112.5 pounds per capita in 2019. The affected birds are highly susceptible to parasitic and bacterial infections. Furthermore, the high production rate of livestock, increasing foodborne diseases, increasing demand for animal protein, and increasing consumer concern over food safety are some of the factors augmenting the Marek disease market growth.
Another factors driving the Marek disease market growth include increasing prevalence of zoonotic diseases, increased shipping of poultry, high-intensity breeding, growing demand for poultry-derived food products, and rising disease outbreaks in poultry. As a result, in January 2020, Boehringer Ingelheim launched a vaccine, VAXXITEK HVT+IBD+ND, to protect poultry from three diseases, such as Marek’s Disease, Infectious Bursal Disease (classic and variant types), and Newcastle Disease. Moreover, in November 2019, Boehringer Ingelheim launched a new innovative and effective vaccine to treat the most virulent strains of Marek's disease affecting poultry.
In North America and the Asia Pacific, the Marek disease market is witnessing robust growth due to the increasing awareness regarding animal health, large livestock population, growing demand for poultry-derived food products, growing virulence of the herpes virus, innovative research and development initiatives, and high-intensity production facilities in these regions. Moreover, market players are increasingly investing in research and development to develop safe and effective treatment for Marek disease, which, in turn, is also expected to accelerate the Marek disease market growth.
Marek disease often results in death or severe production loss in both layer and meat chickens. The disease can develop within 3 to 4 weeks in meat chickens, whereas in layers, most deaths occur between 12 and 24 weeks of age.
