Infection with Borna Disease Virus: Molecular and Immunobiological Characterization of the Agent

Abstract

Borna disease virus (BDV), which seems to be distinct from all other known viruses, exhibits a unique mechanism of pathogenesis. This review highlights several aspects of the biology of infection with this virus and summarizes the preliminary characterization of the agent. Studies on BDV may help to illuminate several important areas of neurobiology, including the mechanisms regulating the replication of a new type of RNA virus in the nuclei of neural cells, the neuroinvasiveness and neurotropism of such viruses, their T cell-mediated immunopathology, tolerance in newborn animals to persistent viral infection of the central nervous system, and behavioral diseases and eating disorders induced by such agents.

Demonstration of Borna disease virus-specific RNA in secretions of naturally infected horses by the polymerase chain reaction

“…Borna disease (BD) is a progressive poliomeningoencephalomyelitis which occurs naturally in horses and sheep (for reviews see : Heinig 1969;Ludwig et al 1985;Richt et al 1992). The disease is mediated by a virus-induced immunopathological process (Narayan et al 1983;Richt et al 1992).…”

“…The disease is mediated by a virus-induced immunopathological process (Narayan et al 1983;Richt et al 1992).…”

Detection of Anti-Borna Disease Virus Antibodies from Cats in Asian Countries, Japan, Philippines and Indonesia Using Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay.

“…Borna disease virus (BDV) is a noncytolytic, neurotropic, single strand, negative sense RNA virus that naturally infects a wide range of vertebrate species from birds and rodents to primates [1,3]. BDV can also cause encephalomyelitis in a wide range of experimental animals [5,6,14].In domestic cats, an characteristic disease of the central nervous system has been observed in Sweden [9]; the dominating clinical sign is an unsteady (staggering) gait. Histopathological examination of the cats showed that the inflammatory reaction of the central nervous system was most pronounced in the grey matter of the brain stem, basal ganglia and hippocampus.…”

“…Borna disease virus (BDV) is a noncytolytic, neurotropic, single strand, negative sense RNA virus that naturally infects a wide range of vertebrate species from birds and rodents to primates [1,3]. BDV can also cause encephalomyelitis in a wide range of experimental animals [5,6,14].…”

Borna disease: current knowledge and virus detection in France

“…Secondly, its genome compaction is overcome by the overlapping of ORF and transcription units [57,59] and by post-transcriptional RNA splicing [15,38]. BDV is also characterized by strict neurotropism, noncytolytic and low rate replication and persistence in the central nervous system [49,58].…”