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Epidemiology and pathogenesis of avian bornavirus infections

Avian bornaviruses are the causative agents of proventricular dilatation disease (PDD), a widely distributed and often fatal disease in parrots (Psittaciformes) including several endangered species. Bornaviruses establish persistent infections, predominantly affecting neuronal tissues. Diseased parrots suffer from neurological signs as well as from impaired motility of the intestinal tract, resulting in congestion of feed and dilatation of the proventriculus.

Avian bornaviruses are also prevalent in additional bird species, including song birds (Passeriformes) and wild waterfowl, but the clinical significance of the viruses in these species remains unknown.

Bornaviriday

Phylogenetic tree based on partial N, X and P gene sequences of bornaviruses from birds, mammals, reptiles and birds. Avian bornaviruses display a remarkable genetic variability. To date at least 15 different viruses, which belong to at least four different species, have been described. ABBV = aquatic bird bornavirus, BoDV = Borna disease virus, CnBV = canary bornavirus, EsBV = estrildid finch bornavirus, GVV = Gabon viper virus, LGSV = Loveridge´s garter snake virus, PaBV = parrot bornavirus

Since the first discovery of avian bornaviruses in 2008, the knowledge on these viruses has markedly increased. However, many questions regarding their epidemiology and pathology remain unsolved. Furthermore, at present no specific prevention of avian bornavirus infections or treatment of the disease exists.

Projects presently investigated in our group include:

  • Prevalence and genetic diversity of avian bornaviruses in pet birds and wild bird populations
  • Diagnosis of avian bornavirus infections by virus isolation, molecular methods and serology
  • Pathogenesis and transmission of avian bornavirus infections using experimental animal model systems (cockatiel, canary bird)
  • Generation of vaccines for the protection of birds against avian bornavirus infections

 

Selected Publications from our group

  1. Kuhn JH, Durrwald R, Bao Y, Briese T, Carbone K, Clawson AN, deRisi JL, Garten W, Jahrling PB, Kolodziejek J, Rubbenstroth D, Schwemmle M, Stenglein M, Tomonaga K, Weissenbock H, Nowotny N. 2014. Taxonomic reorganization of the family Bornaviridae. Arch Virol, in press.
  2. Zimmermann V, Rinder M, Kaspers B, Staeheli P, Rubbenstroth D. 2014. Impact of antigenic diversity on laboratory diagnosis of Avian bornavirus infections in birds. J Vet Diagn Invest 26:769-777.
  3. Philadelpho NA, Rubbenstroth D, Guimaraes MB, Piantino Ferreira AJ. 2014. Survey of bornaviruses in pet psittacines in Brazil reveals a novel parrot bornavirus. Vet Microbiol 174:584-590.
  4. Rubbenstroth D, Brosinski K, Rinder M, Olbert M, Kaspers B, Korbel R, Staeheli P. 2014. No contact transmission of avian bornavirus in experimentally infected cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) and domestic canaries (Serinus canaria forma domestica). Vet Microbiol 172:146-156.
  5. Rubbenstroth D, Schmidt V, Rinder M, Legler M, Corman VM, Staeheli P. 2014. Discovery of a new avian bornavirus genotype in estrildid finches (Estrildidae) in Germany. Vet Microbiol 168:318-323.
  6. Rubbenstroth D, Rinder M, Stein M, Hoper D, Kaspers B, Brosinski K, Horie M, Schmidt V, Legler M, Korbel R, Staeheli P. 2013. Avian bornaviruses are widely distributed in canary birds (Serinus canaria f. domestica). Vet Microbiol 165:287-295.
  7. Rubbenstroth D, Rinder M, Kaspers B, Staeheli P. 2012. Efficient isolation of avian bornaviruses (ABV) from naturally infected psittacine birds and identification of a new ABV genotype from a salmon-crested cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis). Vet Microbiol 161:36-42.
  8. Reuter A, Ackermann A, Kothlow S, Rinder M, Kaspers B, Staeheli P. 2010. Avian Bornaviruses escape recognition by the innate immune system. Viruses 2:927-938.
  9. Staeheli P, Rinder M, Kaspers B. 2010. Avian bornavirus associated with fatal disease in psittacine birds. J Virol 84:6269-6275.
  10. Rinder M, Ackermann A, Kempf H, Kaspers B, Korbel R, Staeheli P. 2009. Broad tissue and cell tropism of avian bornavirus in parrots with proventricular dilatation disease. J Virol 83:5401-5407.

 

Additional activities in the field of bornavirus research

Dennis Rubbenstroth:

-         Chair of the Bornaviridae Study Group of ICTV (International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses), since 2014

-         Member of the Mononegavirales Study Group of ICTV, since 2014

 

Collaboration

Dr. Monika Rinder, Prof. Rüdiger Korbel, Prof. Bernd Kaspers and Prof. Gerd Sutter, LMU Munich

Dr. Angela-Römer Oberdörfer, FLI Insel Riems

Dr. Masayuki Horie, University of Kagoshima, Japan

Victor Corman, University of Bonn

Natalia A. Philadelpho, University of São Paulo, Brazil

 

Funding

The project is funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG).