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Category: Viruses and Viral Pathogenesis
Borna Disease Virus: Spanning a Century of Science, Page 1 of 2
< Previous page | Next page > /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555817909/9781555812355_Chap01-1.gif /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555817909/9781555812355_Chap01-2.gifAbstract:
The study of Borna disease virus (BDV) and BD has broad impact on diverse areas of biology and medicine, notably on molecular genetics of RNA virus, neurobiology, biological psychiatry, and public health. In this chapter, author briefly summarizes the history of BD and BDV research in the past century and showcases the direction of BDV science as we enter a new century. The chapter outlines the spread of BDV research from central Europe throughout the world over the past 2 decades. Diagnosis of BDV infection in animals is now evaluated by several alternative methods using serological and molecular techniques. The research interest in BDV moved to include Asia in the middle of the 1980s, with specific interests in virus infection and human neuropsychiatric diseases. The establishment of sensitive immunoassays using infected culture cells also contributed to the characterization of virus specific antibodies. These assays were relevant for the diagnostic investigations and the characterization of viral antigens. An animal model using rats was also widely applied for understanding BDV biology. Animal models of monkeys, cats, and ponies have provided new insights into the neuropathogenicity of BDV. Experimental infections have clearly shown that BDV can cause behavioral and neuroanatomical disturbances without immune-mediated brain destruction. The direct effects and mechanisms of BDV infection on brain dysfunction, in the absence of immunopathological brain injury, need to be determined for a better understanding of BD pathogenesis but also for a better understanding of the links between BDV, human infection, and noninflammatory neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Spread of BDV research throughout the world. Total numbers of publications concerning BDV from European regions of endemicity (Germany and Switzerland), European regions of nonendemicity, North America, and Asia between 1980 and 2000 as indicated by the PubMed search program at the National Library of Medicine website are shown. Papers containing authors in different areas were counted in each area.
Spread of BDV research throughout the world. Total numbers of publications concerning BDV from European regions of endemicity (Germany and Switzerland), European regions of nonendemicity, North America, and Asia between 1980 and 2000 as indicated by the PubMed search program at the National Library of Medicine website are shown. Papers containing authors in different areas were counted in each area.
Key issues in understanding the neuropathogenesis of BDV.
Key issues in understanding the neuropathogenesis of BDV.