AbstractThe relationship between duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) infection and duck liver diseases was analysed by spot and gel blot hybridization in sera and liver tissues. One hundred and forty ducks were obtained from Qitong county in China. The DHBV‐infected rate was 65.7% and the incidence of duck liver diseases was 70%. The state of DHBV DNA was free in the hepatocytes. The detection rate of DHBV DNA in liver was higher than in serum. The results showed that Qitong duck liver diseases are closely correlated to DHBV infection. The incidence of Qitong duck liver diseases and the DHBV infection rate were different in various species of ducks. Qitong ducks have several hepatic pathological changes as seen in human beings. Therefore, Qitong ducks are most appropriate as an experimental model for human HBV infectio