Bornavirus: Alarm in Bavaria! Man dies from fatal infection

Bornavirus: Alarm in Bavaria! Man dies from fatal infection

There is currently worrying news in Bavaria. In Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, a man died as a result of an infection with the deadly Borna virus. This tragic incident has made experts sit up and take notice, as another man is currently being treated for a similar illness. Borna Disease Virus 1 (BoDV-1) is here and health experts advise caution.

The virus, which occurs primarily in tree shrews, is excreted in their urine, feces and saliva. Although the routes of transmission to humans are still unclear, possible routes include ingestion of contaminated food or water and smear infection via contaminated soil. So if you haven't thought about coming into contact with these little rodents, you should think about it now.

High lethality

Since 2018, BoDV-1 has been considered transmissible to humans and usually leads to fatal encephalitis. The disease has been reportable in Germany since 2020, and as the Ärzteblatt reports, this shows In recent years there have been regular acute cases of BoDV-1 encephalitis, with up to six reports per year, primarily in Bavaria. However, the virus has also spread to other endemic areas, such as Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. In addition, the Märkische Oderzeitung also reports occurrences in parts of Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

The lethal effects of BoDV-1 are alarming. “So far, a low double-digit number of human infections have been identified,” according to various studies. In one incident in 2016, all three recipients of organs from an infected donor developed meningoencephalitis, and two of those cases were fatal. This highlights the explosiveness and risk posed by this virus.

Protective measures and recommendations

So what can you do? The best precaution is to avoid contact with tree shrews and their droppings. Those who live in rural areas should be particularly careful and avoid touching living or dead animals with their bare hands. Health authorities recommend avoiding contaminated food and water and especially minimizing contact with contaminated soil.

Although the infection is extremely rare in endemic areas, maximum vigilance remains necessary. Only around six cases are recorded each year, but this should not distract from the danger. Symptoms of infection are initially nonspecific and may include flu-like symptoms before neurological symptoms such as disorientation and myoclonus become apparent. The course is usually fulminant and can quickly end in death.

Current studies, such as those from Nature, also show that there are significant efforts in diagnostic laboratories to advance more precise diagnosis and possible vaccine development. Researchers are patiently working on sequence analysis of BoDV-1 variants to better understand the origin and spread of the virus and to contain future infections.

In summary, it remains important for all those affected and for the population to be informed about the risks and to strictly adhere to the recommended protective measures. Because as the saying goes: caution is the mother of the china box!