Borna Disease Virus (BDV): Neuropharmacological Effects of a CNS Viral Infection

Borna Disease Virus (BDV) is a neurotropic RNA virus worldwide in distribution that causes movement, behavior or cognitive disorders in animal species. Borna Disease the illness ranges from asymptomatic to fatal meningoencephalitis across naturally infected warmblooded (mammalian and bird) species. There are also reported associations of the virus with neuropsychiatric diseases of man. Development of experimentally infected rodents, frequently rats, as models for examining behavioral, pharmacologic and biochemical responses to viral challenge at different stages of life have contributed to understanding the role of CNS viral injury in vulnerability to neurodevelopmental, behavioral and degenerative diseases.