High prevalence and genetic diversity of hepatitis B viruses in insectivorous bats from China.

•We found that 6.6% (13/197) bats from Shandong and Hubei provinces of China carried hepatis B virus (HBVs).•HBVs from bats in the two places were phylogenetically in the same cluster, but distinct from bat HBVs from other places.•HBVs were highly prevalent and genetic diversified in bats, supporting the hypothesis that bats may be the origin of primate hepadnaviruses.