Occupation-Associated Fatal Limbic Encephalitis Caused by Variegated Squirrel Bornavirus 1, Germany, 2013

Emerging Infectious Diseases
Dennis TappeMartin Beer

Abstract

Limbic encephalitis is commonly regarded as an autoimmune-mediated disease. However, after the recent detection of zoonotic variegated squirrel bornavirus 1 in a Prevost's squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii) in a zoo in northern Germany, we retrospectively investigated a fatal case in an autoantibody-seronegative animal caretaker who had worked at that zoo. The virus had been discovered in 2015 as the cause of a cluster of cases of fatal encephalitis among breeders of variegated squirrels (Sciurus variegatoides) in eastern Germany. Molecular assays and immunohistochemistry detected a limbic distribution of the virus in brain tissue of the animal caretaker. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated a spillover infection from the Prevost's squirrel. Antibodies against bornaviruses were detected in the patient's cerebrospinal fluid by immunofluorescence and newly developed ELISAs and immunoblot. The putative antigenic epitope was identified on the viral nucleoprotein. Other zoo workers were not infected; however, avoidance of direct contact with exotic squirrels and screening of squirrels are recommended.

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Citations

Mar 17, 2019·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Alexandra KupkeChristiane Herden
Aug 2, 2019·PLoS Pathogens·Dennis RubbenstrothMartin Beer
Mar 30, 2020·Virology Journal·Vanessa SchulzeBernhard Ehlers
Mar 2, 2019·Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz
Feb 28, 2019·Euro Surveillance : Bulletin Européen Sur Les Maladies Transmissibles = European Communicable Disease Bulletin·Dennis TappeJonas Schmidt-Chanasit
Jul 28, 2019·Acta Neuropathologica·Friederike LiescheJürgen Schlegel
May 21, 2019·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Dennis TappeChristiane Herden
Oct 10, 2020·Transboundary and Emerging Diseases·Wendy K JoJan Felix Drexler
Jun 7, 2021·Preventive Veterinary Medicine·Emily HardgroveSharon Deem
Jun 13, 2021·Virus Research·Iryna V GoraichukAnton P Gerilovych
Nov 17, 2021·Emerging Microbes & Infections·Christina FrankDennis Tappe

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
reverse transcription PCR
biopsy
PCR
protein aggregate
ELISA
size exclusion chromatography
Feature Extraction
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
chip

Software Mentioned

BEAST
Geneious
jModelTest
MAFFT
Chimera
Agilent Feature Extraction
RDP4
EUROLineScan
PhyML

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