title: Shedding of Infectious Borna Disease Virus-1 in Living Bicolored White-Toothed Shrews.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many RNA viruses arise from animal reservoirs, namely bats, rodents and insectivores but mechanisms of virus maintenance and transmission still need to be addressed. The bicolored white-toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon) has recently been identified as reservoir of the neurotropic Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six out of eleven wild living bicoloured white-toothed shrews were trapped and revealed to be naturally infected with BoDV-1. All shrews were monitored in captivity in a long-term study over a time period up to 600 days that differed between the individual shrews. Interestingly, all six animals showed an asymptomatic course of infection despite virus shedding via various routes indicating a highly adapted host-pathogen interaction. Infectious virus and viral RNA were demonstrated in saliva, urine, skin swabs, lacrimal fluid and faeces, both during the first 8 weeks of the investigation period and for long time shedding after more than 250 days in captivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The various ways of shedding ensure successful virus maintenance in the reservoir population but also transmission to accidental hosts such as horses and sheep. Naturally BoDV-1-infected living shrews serve as excellent tool to unravel host and pathogen factors responsible for persistent viral co-existence in reservoir species while maintaining their physiological integrity despite high viral load in many organ systems.
authors: Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Nobach
authors: Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors: Manon
authors: M
authors: Bourg
authors: Institute of Virology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors: Sibylle
authors: S
authors: Herzog
authors: Institute of Virology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors: Hildburg
authors: H
authors: Lange-Herbst
authors: Mammalian Ecology Group, Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors: Jorge A
authors: JA
authors: Encarnação
authors: Institute of Virology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany.
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Eickmann
authors: Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany.
authors: Christiane
authors: C
authors: Herden
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001891:Borna disease virus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D008297:Male; D012788:Shrews / Q000821:virology*; D017201:Virus Shedding