Investigation of fatal human Borna disease virus 1 encephalitis outside the previously known area for human cases, Brandenburg, Germany – a case report

• Published in: BMC infectious diseases Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 1 - 787
• Main Authors: Tappe, Dennis, Pörtner, Kirsten, Frank, Christina, Wilking, Hendrik, Ebinger, Arnt, Herden, Christiane, Schulze, Christoph, Muntau, Birgit, Eggert, Petra, Allartz, Petra, Schuldt, Gerlind, Schmidt-Chanasit, Jonas, Beer, Martin, Rubbenstroth, Dennis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central Ltd 10.08.2021; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Alpacas; Animal diseases; Animals; BoDV-1; Borna disease; Borna virus; Bornavirus; Case Report; Case reports; Case studies; Clinical awareness; Clusters; Encephalitis; Epidemiology; Equine encephalomyelitis; Etiology; Fatalities; Geographical distribution; Horses; Hybridization; Immunohistochemistry; Infections; Livestock; Magnetic resonance imaging; Next-generation sequencing; Phylogeny; Polymerase chain reaction; Regions; Sheep; Viruses; Zoonoses; Germany; Austria; Bavaria Germany; Switzerland; Liechtenstein
• ISSN: 1471-2334; 1471-2334
• DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06439-3

The true burden and geographical distribution of human Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) encephalitis is unknown. All detected cases so far have been recorded in Bavaria, southern Germany. The investigation highlights clinical awareness for human BoDV-1 encephalitis which should be extended to all areas endemic for animal Borna disease. All previously diagnosed human cases had occurred > 350 km further south. Further testing of shrews and livestock with Borna disease may show whether this BoDV-1 cluster is additionally endemic in the northwest of Brandenburg.