Isolation and identification of duck hepatitis virus HD-strain in Heilongjiang Province

A strain of virus, which was suspected to be duck hepatitis virus (DHV), was isolated from the diseased and dead ducks on the duck farm in Raohe County of Heilongjiang Province. It was confirmed by pathological examination, electronic microscopy observation, duck embryo neutralization test and duckling protection test that the virus strain was DHV serotype 1 and had resulted in plenty of ducks to be pathogenetic and dead on the farm. The strain was named DHV HD-strain. After healthy chickens were immunized with the DHV standard strain, the antibody to DHV in chicken serum and yolk was gained. The good control effect was obtained by inoculating the immunized antibody into the ducks infected with DHV.