Borna virus danger: Clinics in Brandenburg feel well prepared!

Borna virus danger: Clinics in Brandenburg feel well prepared!

In Brandenburg, the Borna virus is causing worried faces, especially due to a recently reported death in Upper Bavaria. A man has died after being infected with the virus transmitted by the field shrew (Borna Disease Virus 1, BoDV-1). The dreaded mouse is considered the main carrier of this virus and can carry it for life without becoming ill itself. As the Märkische Allgemeine reports, experts from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) consider western Brandenburg to be a “suspected endemic area” for the virus.

Bornavirus can cause severe meningitis, which is often fatal. The culprits that promote infection are tree shrew urine, feces and saliva. In Germany there are only a maximum of ten confirmed cases of this disease every year, but the danger is real. Infections can occur via contaminated surfaces, dust or even carcasses. The symptoms are initially non-specific: headaches, fever and a general feeling of illness occur frequently, but can quickly develop into serious neurological disorders that ultimately lead to a coma.

Preparation of the clinics

In local clinics, such as the Neuruppin Hospital, people are aware of the dangers. Clinic spokeswoman Manuela Lenz emphasizes that they are well prepared for possible Borna virus infections. The Oberhavel clinics in Oranienburg and Hennigsdorf also regularly provide information about new, perhaps rare diseases and take the situation very seriously. The Prignitz district hospital in Perleberg, on the other hand, currently sees no urgent need for action, but has recently been struggling with an increasing number of tick bites.

What is less known is that the field shrew can also be found in other regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony, and is also considered a carrier of the virus there. A study shows that a total of 14 deaths have been documented in Germany since 1995 that are directly linked to the virus. At the end of 2019, an eleven-year-old girl also lost her life to this insidious infection, which is still considered serious. Martin Beer, head of the Institute for Viral Diagnostics, warns that the Borna virus should be viewed as a serious threat.

The path of the virus

How is the virus actually transmitted? The transmission routes are diverse. Contact with infected mice or their excrement is the most common. Human-to-human transmission is extremely rare and has so far been ruled out. Transmission between horses and people does not pose a risk either. However, areas with a high risk, such as Bavaria, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, are alarmed.

The measures to protect yourself are clear: gardening should be done with gloves, and food sources for tree shrews should be identified and eliminated in the home area. The BMBF health research also recommends investigating unclear encephalitis cases in related regions for the virus.

In summary, it can be said that despite the danger posed by the Borna virus, the risks in Brandenburg's clinics are largely under control. With a mix of caution and informed preparation, health care providers are committed to protecting the public and raising awareness of this potentially deadly disease.