Ultrastructural study on extrahepatic infection of duck hepatitis B virus in ducks

Kidney and pancreas tissues from congenitally infected Ma ducks with duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) were examined by immunohistochemical staining technique and electron microscopy. The immunostaining showed that DHBV antigen was localized in the cytoplasm of tubular epithelial cells of kidney and acinar cells of pancreas of infected ducks. Under electron microscope, we found that complete and incomplete DHBV particles existed in the dilated cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum of both the cells. The size of complete and incomplete virus particles was nearly uniform in both the cells, 50-65 nm and 40-50 nm in diameter respectively. Therefore, extrahepatic infection and replication of DHBV were directly demonstrated ultrastructurally.