title: Serological evidence for Borna disease virus infection in humans, wild rodents and other vertebrates in Finland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Borna disease virus (BDV) can infect many vertebrate species, including humans. BDV infection may lead to meningoencephalomyelitis in animals. An association with human neuropsychiatric diseases has been reported, but the causal relationship between BDV and human disease remains unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To find out whether BDV is present in Finland and to look for a potential reservoir, we examined a large panel of blood samples from different vertebrate species with immunofluorescence assay. Samples from horses, cats, dogs, sheep, cattle, large predators, grouse, wild rodents and humans were included. Most positive results were confirmed by other specific methods and in other laboratories.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BDV-specific antibodies were detected in 10 horses, 2 cats, as well as 2 horses and 1 dog from farms housing a previously detected seropositive horse. Interestingly, BDV-specific antibodies were further detected in three wild rodents. In humans, BDV-specific antibodies were detected in a veterinarian and in two patients suspected to have a Puumala hantavirus infection. Our serological analysis suggests that BDV infects various vertebrates in Finland, including humans. Furthermore, our data indicate for the first time that BDV infects also wild rodents.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 66, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. Paula.Kinnunen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Paula M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Kinnunen
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Billich
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ek-Kommonen
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Henttonen
authors.forename: R K  Eva
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kallio
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niemimaa
authors.forename: Airi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palva
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Staeheli
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaheri
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vapalahti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D001717:Birds; D001890:Borna Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001891:Borna disease virus / Q000276:immunology*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D002460:Cell Line; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D004285:Dogs; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D012377:Rodentia; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep; D018634:Veterinarians
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral