Immunity in pekin ducks experimentally and naturally infected with duck hepatitis b virus

✍ Scribed by K. Vickery; J. S. Freiman; R. Kearney; S. Murray; Y. E. Cossart; R. J. Dixon

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 592 KB
• Volume: 28
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.1890280406

✦ Synopsis

The immune response to duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) had not been elucidated. An assay was therefore established to detect the presence of antibody to DHB surface antigen (anti-DHBs) in serum of experimentally inoculated and naturally infected ducks. Anti-DHBs in serum was detected by indirect RIA from the percentage inhibition of binding of rabbit anti-DHBs to purified DHBsAg. Specificity was confirmed by positive and negative controls, infected and noninfected sera, and a mouse monoclonal antibody to DHB core antigen (anti-DHBc). Serum and liver samples were tested for DHBV DNA by dot-blot hybridization assay. Adult ducks repeatedly inoculated with DHBV remained non-viraemic but developed anti-DHBs. This antibody activity neutralized the infectivity of DHBV, which was experimentally inoculated into 1-day-old ducklings. In naturally infected flocks anti-DHBs was detected in a proportion of noninfected adult ducks as well as 1-day-old hatchlings. Anti-DHBs activity in hatchlings neutralized the infectivity of experimentally inoculated DHBV. Pekin ducks can therefore mount a neutralizing antibody response to DHBV, and immunity may be transferred in ovo from dam to off-spring.