Abstract
The presence of duck hepatitis B virus in serum was studied in 61 ducks (24 from Chi-tung county, China, 20 from Changchun, China, and 17 from Chiba, Japan) with relation to liver disease. None of the 37 ducks from Chiba and Changchun was positive for duck hepatitis B virus as assayed by electron microscopy, endogenous deoxyribonucleic acid-polymerase activity, and hybridization with duck hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid. No liver disease was seen in these ducks. In contrast, viruslike particles were present in the serum of 12 of 24 (50%) ducks from Chi-tung, China. The presence of duck hepatitis B virus in serum was indicated by the hybridization spot test and deoxyribonucleic acidpolymerase activities. A variety of liver diseases including chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis were seen in the livers of a majority of the ducks from Chi-tung. One duck hepatitis B virus-positive duck had multicentric hepatocellular carcinoma with underlying cirrhosis. Comparison of serum duck hepatitis B virus markers and liver disease in the affected flock revealed a tendency for seronegative ducks to have advanced liver diseases. Duck hepatitis B virus infection may be used as an experimental model to test various hypotheses concerning the pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus-associated liver disease in humans.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
