DUCK HEPATITIS-B VIRUS-INFECTION, AFLATOXIN-B1 AND LIVER-CANCER IN DUCKS

The association between chronic infection by hepadnaviruses isolated f rom human (HBV), woodchuck (WHV), ground squirrel (GSHV) and developme nt of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in their respective hosts is well established (reviewed in [11, 15, 17]). By contrast, the association of duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) infection with HCC is less documented . Pekin ducks congenitally infected with DHBV and followed for several years throughout the world do not develop liver tumors: HCC has been found only in domestic ducks from a single area of China, Qidong. Seve ral factors such as DHBV carrier rate, breed and age of ducks, subtype of DHBV and environmental carcinogens are suspected to contribute to this striking difference between the geographical repartition of liver cancer in DHBV-carrier ducks. In this brief review we will consider s uccessively the role of these different factors in duck liver oncogene sis.