BORNA-DISEASE VIRUS GENOME TRANSCRIBED AND EXPRESSED IN PSYCHIATRIC-PATIENTS

Borna disease virus (BDV) is a neurotropic, negative and single-strand ed enveloped RNA virus that persistently infects various domestic anim al species. Infection causes disturbances in behaviour and cognitive f unctions, but can also lead to a fatal neurologic disease. Human infec tions seemed likely, since serum antibodies were detected in neuropsyc hiatric patients. Further proof came from our discovery that periphera l blood monocytes carry viral antigens. Here, we present the first dat a on different viral genomic transcripts in such patients' cells as we ll as sequence data of transcripts. Both viral markers seem to coincid e with acute episodes of mood disorders, thus pointing to a new human virus infection possibly threatening mental health.