The duck fatty kidney syndrome — An aspect of duck viral hepatitis

The duck fatty kidney syndrome accounted for mortalities of up to 30% on certain duck rearing farms in Britain from 1978 to 1983 and affected two distinct age groups of 1 to 2 and 4 to 6 weeks of age. Post mortem examinations revealed pale swollen kidneys and swollen mottled spleens. Histological examination of tissues suggested mild duck viral hepatitis, even though the birds were vaccinated against duck hepatitis virus type I and the older group was beyond the age at which age immunity to that disease usually develops. Studies on the pathogenesis of duck viral hepatitis suggested that the duck fatty kidney syndrome was a manifestation of that disease.