PATHOGENESIS OF BORNA-DISEASE VIRUS FOR P SYCHIATRIC AND NEUROLOGICALDISTURBANCES IN HUMANS - CURRENT STATUS OF RESEARCH AND CRITICAL COMMENTARY

Demonstration of BDV-specific serum antibodies, the isolation of BDV f rom cerebrospinal fluid of neuropsychiatric patients, and the recent d emonstration of BDV antigen and BDV-RNA in human brain tissue strongly suggest that BDV can infect humans. Isolation of ED virus from brain tissue is needed for final proof. There is still great controversy abo ut the question of whether BDV antigen, BDV-RNA or BDV can be detected in peripheral blood monocytes or not. Overall, the question of pathog enicity of BDV infection for humans is wide open. Investigations of hu man cerebrospinal fluid indicate that BDV might cause human lymphocyti c meningoencephalitis and so-called symptomatic psychoses in rare case s. Seroepidemiological studies suggest a widely non-specific but possi bly pathogenic role of BDV in a spectrum of psychiatric disorders.