Objective: In order to study the epidemiology of Borna disease virus (BDV) in Zunyi region and its surrounding regions in Guizhou province.
Methods: p24 fragment of BDV fragments in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 43 patients with viral encephalitis (VE), 9 cases with multiple sclerosis (MS), 7 cases with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), 5 cases with Parkinson disease (PD), 98 healthy donors and 300 goats were examined by quantitative fluorescence nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Gene sequence and amino acid sequence were analyzed for positive products.
Results: The positive rate of BDV p24 fragment in PBMC from VE (13.95%) and MS (22.22%) were significantly higher than in healthy donors (0%, P < 0.05). The positive rate of BDV p24 fragment in PBMC from goats was 0.67%, without statistical difference when compared with healthy donors (P > 0.05). Guillain-Barre syndrome and Parkinson disease (PD) were tested negative. The sequence of the BDV p24 fragment from the patients with VE was in conformity with that of the MS. Results presented that 3 situs consistency silent mutation when compared with strain V and its homogeneity was 96.51%. 2 situs consistency silent mutation compared with BDV/MDCK and its homogeneity was 97.67%. 2 situs consistency silent mutation when compared with C6BV and its homogeneity was 97.67%. Sequences of the BDV p24 fragment from the goats presented 3 situs consistency silent mutation when compared with strain V and its homogeneity was 96.51%. 3 situs consistency silent mutation when compared with BDV/MDCK and its homogeneity was 96.51%. 3 situs consistency silent mutation when compared with C6BV and its homogeneity was 96.51%. However, there were no changes of encoding amino acids in all BDV p24 fragments from neuropsychiatric disorders.
Conclusion: Our data indicated that the BDV infection was presented in patients with VE, MS and goats from Zunyi region and its surrounding regions of Guizhou province. BDV might play a potential role in the development of VE, MS as well as having correlations with animals.