[Epidemiological investigation on natural infection to Borna disease virus (BDV) among horses in Yili, Xinjiang].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the epidemiological pattern of Borna disease virus (BDV) infection in horses and to analyze the phylogenetic tree of derived BDV in Yili, Xinjiang.


METHODS
We established a modified nested RT-PCR (nRT-PCR) to detect BDV p24 segment in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and brain tissues of 120 horses in Yili, Xinjiang. Positive products were analyzed by sequencing and homology analysis.


RESULTS
The positive rate of BDV infection was 2.5% in both PMBCs and brain tissues at the same time. The gene sequence revealed in positive PCR samples was more than 93%, identical to that of BDV derived from horses in other countries. We also noticed a high degree of identity (> 98%) to standard strain He/80 in gene sequence of positive PCR samples.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study found the presence of BDV natural infection in horses in Yili. The endemic BDV had a high degree of identity to standard strain He/80.
Zhu
Dan
D
Chongqing University of Medical Science, Chongqing 400016, China.
Zeng
Zhi-lei
ZL
Peng
Dan
D
Chen
Xiao
X
Zhao
Li-bo
LB
Zhang
Ying-ying
YY
Xu
Ming-ming
MM
Zhan
Qun-ling
QL
Yu
Jian-ping
JP
Xie
Peng
P
D000818:Animals; D001890:Borna Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001891:Borna disease virus / Q000235:genetics*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D006736:Horses / Q000821:virology*; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics
D012367:RNA, Viral