title: Epidemiology and host spectrum of Borna disease virus infections.
abstract: Borna disease virus (BDV) has gained lot of interest because of its zoonotic potential, ability to introduce cDNA of its RNA transcripts into host genomes, and ability to cause severe neurobehavioural diseases. Classical Borna disease is a progressive meningoencephalomyelitis in horses and sheep, known in central Europe for centuries. According to current knowledge, BDV or a close relative also infects several other species, including humans at least occasionally, in central Europe and elsewhere, but the existence of potential 'human Borna disease' with its suspected neuropsychiatric symptoms is highly controversial. The recent detection of endogenized BDV-like genes in primate and various other vertebrate genomes confirms that at least ancient bornaviruses did infect our ancestors. The epidemiology of BDV is largely unknown, but accumulating evidence indicates vectors and reservoirs among small wild mammals. The aim of this review is to bring together the current knowledge on epidemiology of BDV infections. Specifically, geographical and host distribution are addressed and assessed in the critical light of the detection methods used. We also review some salient clinical aspects.
authors.affiliation: Infection Biology Research Program Unit, Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Paula M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Kinnunen
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Airi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palva
authors.affiliation: HUSLAB, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|Infection Biology Research Program Unit, Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaheri
authors.affiliation: HUSLAB, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|Infection Biology Research Program Unit, Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vapalahti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001890:Borna Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D001891:Borna disease virus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D019371:Topography, Medical; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology