STUDIES OF THE NATURAL HISTORY AND TREATMENT OF DUCK HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION

它们之间在结构和性质上有许多相似之处， 人B型肝炎病毒（HBV）和鸭B型肝炎病毒 （DHBV）。 这些相似性表明鸭乙型肝炎病毒感染鸭 可能是一种有用的人HBV感染的实验模型， 特别是因为HBV不能容易地在细胞培养物中生长。 鸭子 出生时感染DHBV的人成为病毒的慢性携带者， 尽管他们可能不会发展为明显的肝炎。 一些DHBV感染者 据报道，鸭子会患上肝细胞癌， 在人类中与慢性 B型肝炎感染。 作为筛选试验， 治疗人类慢性B型肝炎的新的抗病毒药物 正在评估免疫调节剂的能力， 抑制鸭乙型肝炎病毒复制。

There are many similarities in structure and properties between the human hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV). These similarities suggest that DHBV infection in ducks may be a useful experimental model of human HBV infection, particularly as HBV cannot be grown readily in cell culture. Ducks infected with DHBV at birth become chronic carriers of the virus, although they may not develop overt hepatitis. Some DHBV-infected ducks have been reported to develop hepatocellular carcinoma, a tumor strongly linked etiologically in humans with chronic hepatitis B infection. As a screening test for new effective therapies for chronic type B hepatitis in man, new antiviral immunomodulatory agents are being assessed for their ability to suppress DHBV replication in ducks.