Since 2001 several outbreaks of a new disease associated with Border disease virus (BDV) infection have caused important declines in Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) populations in the Pyrenees. The goal of this study was to analyze the post-outbreak BDV epidemiology in the first two areas affected by disease with the aim to establish if the infection has become endemic. We also investiga...

Borna disease virus (BDV) infection causes neurological disease in cats. Here, we report BDV infection in 199 hospitalized domestic cats in the Tokyo area. BDV infection was evaluated by detection of plasma antibodies against BDV-p24 or -p40. BDV-specific antibodies were detected in 54 cats (27.1%). Interestingly, the percentage of seropositive cats was not significantly different among the thr...

Borna disease virus (BDV), a negative nonsegmented single-stranded RNA virus, has not been fully characterized morphologically. Here we present what is to our knowledge the first data on the fine ultrastructure and morphogenesis of BDV. The supernatant of MDCK cells persistently infected with BDV treated with n-butyrate contained many virus-like particles and more BDV-specific RNA than that of ...

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is characterized by debilitating fatigue, somatic symptoms and cognitive impairment. An infectious basis has been proposed; candidate agents include enteroviruses, herpesviruses, retroviruses and Borna disease virus (BDV), a novel neurotropic virus associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Sera and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from Swedish CFS patie...

BACKGROUND Borna disease virus (BDV) is an RNA virus belonging to the family Bornaviridae. Borna disease virus is a neurotropic virus that causes changes in mood, behaviour and cognition. BDV causes persistent infection of the central nervous system. Immune changes lead to activation of infection. Alcohol and drug dependence are associated with immune impairment. METHODS We examined the serop...

Borna disease virus (BDV), the prototypic member of the family Bornaviridae within the order Mononegavirales, provides an important model for the investigation of viral persistence within the central nervous system (CNS) and of associated brain disorders. BDV is highly neurotropic and enters its target cell via receptor-mediated endocytosis, a process mediated by the virus surface glycoprotein ...

Borna disease virus (BDV) is a noncytolytic RNA virus that can replicate in the central nervous system (CNS) of mice. This study shows that BDV multiplication was efficiently blocked in transgenic mice that express mouse alpha-1 interferon (IFN-alpha1) in astrocytes. To investigate whether endogenous virus-induced IFN might similarly restrict BDV, we used IFNAR(0/0) mice, which lack a functiona...

There are few copies of Borna disease virus (BDV) genome in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and no reliable standard reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method for the detection of BDV RNA, which is both highly sensitive and free of contamination. Single-step RT-PCR, in which both reverse transcription and amplification by Taq DNA polymerase work efficiently in a single ...

OVERVIEW Borna disease virus (BDV) has a broad host range, affecting primarily horses and sheep, but also cattle, ostriches, cats and dogs. In cats, BDV may cause a non-suppurative meningoencephalomyelitis ('staggering disease'). INFECTION The mode of transmission is not completely elucidated. Direct and indirect virus transmission is postulated, but BDV is not readily transmitted between cat...

Borna disease virus (BDV) surface glycoprotein (GP) (p56) has a predicted molecular mass of 56 kDa. Due to extensive posttranslational glycosylation the protein migrates as a polypeptide of 84 kDa (gp84). The processing of gp84 by the cellular protease furin generates gp43, which corresponds to the C-terminal part of gp84. Both gp84 and gp43 have been implicated in viral entry involving recepto...