Abstract: Duck viral hepatitis (DVH) is a lethal,fast spreading infectious disease,which is induced by duck hepatitis virus (DHV), mainly within 3 weeks old ducklings infected,especially 1 week old and 100% ended up death.It is one of the most devastating epidemic diseases in duck culture industry since the 20th century.It has get huge loses to duck industry.DHBV is listed as the B class infectious disease in the legal reported diseases list of OIE.The paper introduces the occurrence and distribution,aetiology,genome structure and function and diagnostic technique of the DHV.

Key words: duck hepatitis virus (DHV); duck viral hepatitis (DVH); genome; diagnosis