Final Risk Analysis - Biosecurity New Zealand

8. Borna Disease
8.1. HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
8.1.1. Aetiological agent
Family: Bornaviridae; Genus: Bornavirus. Borna disease virus is the only member of this
family.
8.1.2. OIE list
Not listed.
8.1.3. New Zealand status
Listed on the unwanted organisms register as an exotic, unwanted organism.
8.1.4. Epidemiology
Borna disease affects horses, sheep, and a variety of other animals including goats, deer,
rabbits (Rott et al 2004), lynx (Desgiorgis et al 2000), and foxes (Dauphin et al 2001). Cattle
can be subclinically infected (Hagiwara et al 1996). Disease is rare, but acute nervous disease
can occur (Rott et al 2004).
The disease has either been under-reported in the past or it is an emerging disease that has
now been reported in many different species and countries. It occurs most commonly in
Germany and Switzerland. However, serologically positive animals have also been found in
Poland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Iran (Rott et al 2004) and Borna virus RNA has
been found in France (Dauphin et al 2001; Dauphin and Zientara 2003). Reports on the
demonstration of antibodies in horses have also come from North America (Kao et al 1993),
Japan (Inoue et al 2002), and Israel (Teplitsky et al 2003). The virus has been demonstrated in
cats in Britain (Reeves et al 1998). Viral RNA has been demonstrated in the peripheral
mononuclear cells of cattle (Hagiwara et al 1996), sheep (Hagiwara et al 1997; Vahlenkamp
et al 2000; Vahlenkamp et al 2002), horses (Nakamura et al 1995; Vahlenkamp et al 2002),
cats (Nakamura et al 1996; Reeves et al 1998), and humans (Kishi et al 1995; Vahlenkamp et
al 2000; Vahlenkamp et al 2002).
A closely related virus has been found in mallards and jackdaws in Sweden (Berg et al 2001).
A related virus has been identified as the aetiological agent of wobbly possum disease in New
Zealand (O'Keefe et al 1997).
Antibody to Borna disease virus has been found in humans suffering from psychosomatic
disorders (Bode et al 1996; Rott et al 1985). However, the exact role of the virus in human
infections and as a cause of psychosomatic disorders remains controversial. The specificity of
demonstrated antibody and the accuracy and reliability of the PCR test to demonstrate the
presence of viral RNA has been questioned, but the issues remain unresolved (Carbone 2001;
Staeheli et al 2000).
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand Import Risk Analysis: Cattle from Australia, Canada, the EU & the USA ● 23