Experimental in ovo transmission of duck hepatitis B virus.
Inoculation of fertile Pekin duck eggs with diluted serum containing DHBV into eggs incubated for 24 h and into the extra-embryonic cavities of 14-day-old embryos resulted in a high proportion of viraemic ducklings irrespective of the route of inoculation. Long-term observation of som of the ducks established that the viraemia induced experimentally is long-lasting and has persisted for periods up to 16 mth post-hatch. Separation of DHBV from the plasma of carrier ducks by rate zonal centrifugation was examined by DNA polymerase (DNAP) activity. Particles in the fraction with peak DNAP activity had a buoyant density of 1.16 g X cm-3 in sucrose and an estimated sedimentation coefficient, S20.w of 77. DHBV particles, the morphology of which could be resolved under the electron microscope, consisted of a coat (about 10 nm in thickness) surrounding a core with a diameter measuring 40 nm but not 27 nm as previously reported. Spike-like projections were found on the surface of the core as described previously by W.S. Mason, G. Seal and J. Summers, 1980, J. Virol. 36, 829-836.
Tsiquaye
K N
KN
Rapicetta
M
M
McCaul
T F
TF
Zuckerman
A J
AJ
D000818:Animals; D002501:Centrifugation, Zonal; D004261:DNA Replication; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000032:analysis; D004372:Ducks / Q000382:microbiology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000382:microbiology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000635:transmission*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014766:Viremia; D014779:Virus Replication
D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase