MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF BORNA-DISEASE-VIRUS FROM NATURALLY INFECTED ANIMALS AND POSSIBLE LINKS TO HUMAN DISORDERS

In this review data are presented-which indicate a high degree of gene tic stability of BDV in his natural host, the horse. Despite this high degree of sequence conservation, variation in antigenicity was found, which did not influence the pathogenic properties of the virus. In ad dition, the correlation between BDV-seropositivity and a variety of ps ychiatric and neurological disorders in humans is discussed. In diagno stically unselected psychiatric patients we found a similar distributi on of psychiatric disorders in BDV seropositives compared to seronegat ives. Investigations of cerebrospinal fluid revealed cases of BDV ence phalitis in BDV seropositive psychiatric and neurological patients. In contrast to others, we have found no evidence for the presence of BDV -RNA or BDV in human peripheral blood leucocytes.