220:
purpose-built laboratories had been erected and staff at the research station began their work. At the time fowl paralysis was a major problem of developing poultry industries around the world. For instance, in 1947 of the chickens over 8 weeks of age submitted for post mortem to the UK Central
Veterinary Laboratories 14.2% had the disease and by 1949 this figure reached 20.4%. The problem was compounded as chickens with fowl paralysis (Marek's disease) had visceral lymphoma and this was confused with lymphoid leukosis. The two diseases, with completely different aetiologies, were included together under the general term āAvian Leukosis Complexā leading to much confusion for diagnosticians and pathologists. Throughout the 1950s debate raged over the causes of different syndromes within the Avian Leukosis Complex, if it was transmitted vertically or by contact and if it could only be controlled by selective breeding, as recommended by some researchers at Cornell University. There was some hope for development of a diagnostic test; however, this proved a false dawn and reliable diagnostic tests were developed much later. Even as early as 1949, there was talk of the developing a vaccine.
236:
investment at
Houghton paid dividends when the causative agent of Marek's disease, a highly cell-associated lymphotropic herpesvirus, was identified. This was hailed by the press as a major breakthrough, which had implications for the study of human as well as animal tumour immunology. Although the causative virus was now identified there was still no means of prevention and the threat from acute Marek's disease assumed huge proportions with half of the birds succumbing in some flocks and losses in excess of 25% being frequent. Poultry diseases including Marek's were costing the industry a staggering 20% of annual farm income in 1969. At the time selecting for genetic resistance to Marek's disease was the only means of defence.Techniques developed to grow the Marek's disease herpesvirus in chicken kidney cells enabled researchers to attenuate virulent virus and develop the first effective vaccine. This was the first report of an anti-viral vaccine being used to effectively prevent a naturally occurring cancer.
293:
29:
45:
196:
rabbits poultry and pigeons, as well as those of larger farm animalsā Dr Robert Fraser Gordon, a successful research worker and champion of the UK poultry industry, was appointed as the first director. He established what was to become a world-renowned centre for the study of infectious diseases of poultry from two ex-prisoner-war huts in the grounds of
Houghton Grange in Huntingdonshire, near Cambridge. It was government-run from 1956. On the board was
52:
227:
In 1959 Peter Biggs was employed to head the
Leucosis Experimental Unit (LEU) devoted to unravelling the problems of lymphoid leukosis and fowl paralysis and ambitious plans were set in train for purpose-built complex of isolation laboratories and the production of disease-free chickens from another
231:
1961 saw the culmination of many years of confusion, when Biggs and
Campbell proposed that the leukosis complex and fowl paralysis be separately classified. At the First World's Poultry Science Conference in Utrecht, Netherlands it was agreed that fowl paralysis be called Marek's disease as a
223:
Facilities for working on infectious diseases at
Houghton in the 1950s were primitive but plans were ambitious, even to the extent of developing a mobile laboratory to house a āflying squadā to investigate disease outbreaks on farms. Experimental facilities improved as birds began to be kept in
195:
Houghton
Poultry Research Station was founded by the UK Animal Health Trust in 1948 as one of āa group of research stations devoted to the study of problems connected with farm livestock, each devoted to a single species but catering as a group for the needs of similar livestock such as goats,
235:
In the 1960s LEU team was joined by a number of very able researchers including Tony
Churchill and Jim (L.N.) Payne. This proved a very productive period for research on Marek's disease with collaborations, and friendly rivalry, between laboratories on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1967 the
219:
The first programme included work on contemporary scourges of the UK poultry industry: salmonellosis, coccidiosis, fowl paralysis (as Marek's disease was then called) and virus diseases. Fowl pest (Newcastle disease) was not included as disease control facilities were inadequate. By 1949 new
239:
The site became known in 1986 as the
Houghton Laboratory of the Institute for Animal Health. The site closed in the 1992 due to budget realignments. It had been planned to close the site in August 1989.
567:
582:
224:
isolation in purpose-built facilities. In addition, new permanent laboratories were built onto
Houghton Grange, which provided the centre for administration and a library.
632:
44:
607:
617:
612:
388:
562:
622:
557:
107:
597:
292:
602:
587:
28:
572:
378:
407:
Freeman, B.M. and Tucker, J.F. (1984) A History of Houghton Poultry Research Station, Houghton Poultry Research Station, Houghton.
592:
209:
285:
Peter Biggs attended the 1967 World Poultry Congress in Kiev. He showed that cancer in poultry was heritable, due to the
627:
289:
of Leucosis, Marek's disease and acute Marek's disease. Leucosis alone caused 40% of mortality in egg-producing breeds.
100:
304:
272:
264:
205:
577:
92:
371:
300:
268:
311:, due to antibiotic resistance, which had been investigated by Herbert Williams-Smith in the early 1970s.
383:
363:
344:
279:
519:
197:
336:
282:
in the 1960s. In 1967 this disease was costing the industry Ā£7m or about 2.5% of revenue.
249:
184:
201:
177:
551:
473:
308:
257:
213:
340:
122:
109:
232:
tribute to JĆ³zsef Marek who had provided the first published description
252:
known as the Houghton strain, which allowed the researchers to study the
537:
253:
353:
It had 33 laboratories. Its chickens laid around 2000 eggs a week.
291:
303:
FRS was head of microbiology until May 1984. In 1969 a report on
16:
Agricultural research institute in Houghton, Cambridgeshire
542:
51:
568:
Agricultural research institutes in the United Kingdom
323:
Peter Biggs January 1974 - (became FRS in March 1976)
228:
isolation unit built at Boxworth, some 8 miles away.
446:
Marek (1907) Dtch TierƤrzt.l Wochenschr. 15, 417-21
176:was a poultry disease research station in northern
162:
154:
146:
138:
99:
88:
80:
75:
67:
21:
183:By the 1970s, the site was the largest centre for
455:Churchill and Biggs (1967) Nature, 215, 528-530
8:
583:Buildings and structures in Huntingdonshire
389:National Animal Disease Information Service
464:Churchill et al. (1969) Nature, 221, 744-7
204:(vice-chancellor from 1965 to 1971 of the
18:
633:Veterinary medicine in the United Kingdom
608:Research institutes established in 1948
400:
437:British Veterinary Journal 117, 316-25
428:British Veterinary Journal 117, 326-34
618:Research institutes in Cambridgeshire
7:
613:Organizations disestablished in 1992
307:(AGPs) recommended a restriction of
256:lifecycle. The site also researched
14:
563:1992 disestablishments in England
379:British Society of Animal Science
350:. The site has been redeveloped.
174:Houghton Poultry Research Station
22:Houghton Poultry Research Station
320:Robert Fraser Gordon 1948 - 1974
263:It worked in the 1960s with the
50:
43:
27:
161:
145:
84:Agricultural research institute
623:Veterinary research institutes
558:1948 establishments in England
485:Times 9 December 1964, page 17
59:Location within Cambridgeshire
1:
498:, 9 November 1970, page VIII
248:In 1949 it found a strain of
210:Trevor Stamp, 3rd Baron Stamp
598:Molecular biology institutes
216:was a chairman of the site.
603:Poultry research institutes
343:near the junction with the
305:antibiotic growth promoters
278:It developed a vaccine for
273:avian infectious bronchitis
265:British Egg Marketing Board
649:
588:History of Huntingdonshire
33:The entrance in March 2009
419:4 February 1956, page 212
267:, collaborating with the
206:University of Southampton
38:
26:
573:Animal health in England
93:Houghton, Cambridgeshire
593:Microbiology institutes
372:British Poultry Science
269:University of Liverpool
301:Herbert Williams-Smith
297:
296:The site in March 2009
212:. The virologist Prof
142:15 m (49 ft)
538:Poultry Health Course
510:27 March 1967, page 3
326:Jim Payne 1986 - 1992
295:
384:Microbiology Society
628:Virology institutes
119: /
76:General information
71:Houghton Laboratory
298:
170:
169:
640:
525:
523:10 November 1983
517:
511:
505:
499:
493:
487:
482:
476:
471:
465:
462:
456:
453:
447:
444:
438:
435:
429:
426:
420:
414:
408:
405:
335:It was sited in
198:Emmanuel Amoroso
134:
133:
131:
130:
129:
124:
120:
117:
116:
115:
112:
54:
53:
47:
31:
19:
648:
647:
643:
642:
641:
639:
638:
637:
578:Animal virology
548:
547:
534:
529:
528:
518:
514:
506:
502:
494:
490:
483:
479:
472:
468:
463:
459:
454:
450:
445:
441:
436:
432:
427:
423:
415:
411:
406:
402:
397:
364:Avian Pathology
359:
337:Huntingdonshire
333:
317:
280:Marek's disease
271:on research on
250:Eimeria tenella
246:
193:
185:poultry disease
127:
125:
121:
118:
113:
110:
108:
106:
105:
63:
62:
61:
60:
57:
56:
55:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
646:
644:
636:
635:
630:
625:
620:
615:
610:
605:
600:
595:
590:
585:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
550:
549:
546:
545:
540:
533:
532:External links
530:
527:
526:
512:
500:
488:
477:
466:
457:
448:
439:
430:
421:
409:
399:
398:
396:
393:
392:
391:
386:
381:
376:
368:
358:
355:
332:
329:
328:
327:
324:
321:
316:
313:
287:cancer complex
245:
242:
202:Kenneth Mather
192:
189:
187:in the world.
178:Cambridgeshire
168:
167:
164:
160:
159:
156:
152:
151:
148:
144:
143:
140:
136:
135:
123:52.334Ā°N 0.1Ā°W
103:
97:
96:
90:
86:
85:
82:
78:
77:
73:
72:
69:
65:
64:
58:
49:
48:
42:
41:
40:
39:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
645:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
594:
591:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
555:
553:
544:
541:
539:
536:
535:
531:
524:
522:
521:New Scientist
516:
513:
509:
504:
501:
497:
492:
489:
486:
481:
478:
475:
470:
467:
461:
458:
452:
449:
443:
440:
434:
431:
425:
422:
418:
413:
410:
404:
401:
394:
390:
387:
385:
382:
380:
377:
374:
373:
369:
366:
365:
361:
360:
356:
354:
351:
349:
346:
342:
338:
330:
325:
322:
319:
318:
314:
312:
310:
306:
302:
294:
290:
288:
283:
281:
276:
274:
270:
266:
261:
259:
255:
251:
243:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
215:
211:
207:
203:
199:
190:
188:
186:
181:
179:
175:
165:
157:
153:
149:
141:
137:
132:
104:
102:
98:
94:
91:
87:
83:
79:
74:
70:
66:
46:
37:
30:
25:
20:
520:
515:
507:
503:
495:
491:
484:
480:
469:
460:
451:
442:
433:
424:
416:
412:
403:
370:
362:
352:
347:
334:
309:tetracycline
299:
286:
284:
277:
262:
247:
238:
234:
230:
226:
222:
218:
194:
182:
173:
171:
128:52.334; -0.1
68:Former names
258:coccidiosis
214:Peter Wildy
155:Inaugurated
126: /
101:Coordinates
552:Categories
395:References
348:Sawtry Way
163:Demolished
111:52Ā°20ā²02ā³N
375:, journal
367:, journal
331:Structure
315:Directors
147:Completed
139:Elevation
114:0Ā°06ā²00ā³W
357:See also
339:off the
244:Research
95:PE17 2DA
543:WPSA UK
474:History
254:Eimeria
191:History
89:Address
417:Nature
208:) and
200:, Sir
508:Times
496:Times
345:B1090
341:A1123
172:The
166:1992
158:1948
150:1948
81:Type
554::
275:.
260:.
180:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.