title: Evidence for natural Borna disease virus infection in healthy domestic animals in three areas of western China.
abstract: Borna disease virus (BDV) is a non-cytolytic, neurotropic RNA virus that can infect many vertebrate species, including humans. To date, BDV infection has been reported in a range of animal species across a broad global geographic distribution. However, a systematic epidemiological survey of BDV infection in domesticated animals in China has yet to be performed. In current study, BDV RNA and antibodies in 2353 blood samples from apparently healthy animals of eight species (horse, donkey, dog, pig, rabbit, cattle, goat, sheep) from three areas in western China (Xinjiang province, Chongqing municipality, and Ningxia province) were assayed using reverse transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR) and ELISA assay. Brain tissue samples from a portion of the BDV RNA- and/or antibody-positive animals were subjected to RT-qPCR and western blotting. As a result, varying prevalence of BDV antibodies and/or RNA was demonstrated in various animal species from three areas, ranging from 4.4 % to 20.0 %. Detection of BDV RNA and/or antibodies in Chongqing pigs (9.2 %) provided the first known evidence of BDV infection in this species. Not all brain tissue samples from animals whose blood was BDV RNA and/or antibody positive contained BDV RNA and protein. This study provides evidence that BDV infection among healthy domestic animal species is more widespread in western China than previously believed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qunling
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Zhenhai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Mingming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Rongzhong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000821:virology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001890:Borna Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D001891:Borna disease virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004285:Dogs; D018397:Equidae; D006041:Goats; D006736:Horses; D011817:Rabbits; D012756:Sheep; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral