TITLE:
First Serological Evidence of Borna Disease Virus in Healthy Horses from Yucatan, Mexico
AUTHORS:
Marco Torres-Castro, Henry Noh-Pech, Edwin Gutiérrez-Ruiz, Julián García-Rejón, Carlos Machain-Williams, Jorge Zavala-Castro, Fernando I. Puerto
KEYWORDS:
Borna Disease Virus, Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay, Healthy Horses, Yucatan, Mexico
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Microbiology,
Vol.6 No.7,
June
17,
2016
ABSTRACT: Borna Disease Virus (BDV)
causes a progressive non-suppurative meningoencephalitis that sometimes occurs in
mortality; this disease has been reported for over two centuries ago in horses,
sheep and cats in Central Europe and some regions of Asia. Currently, it is known
that it causes neurological symptoms in various species of vertebrates including
human beings. In Yucatan, Mexico, there is a single serological report about the
circulation of BDV in schizophrenia patients; however, nothing is known about the
circulation in animals. We obtained serum samples of 100 horses without apparent
clinical signs caused by BDV infection, from various sites in the region.
Antibodies against BDV were detected by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay
(ECLIA) method with three recombinant proteins: BDV p24, BDV p40 and BDV p10 as
antigens; obtaining a high seroprevalence of 44% (44/100). This study generates
the first report of the probable activity of the BDV in healthy horses in
Mexico and has expanded the infiltration area of BDV in the world. Nevertheless,
several molecular investigations are required to detect BDV-RNA circulating and
find sequences for clarification of the origin of BDV in Mexican horses.