Study on Borna disease virus natural infection in China and analysis of sequences

  Objective   To investigate the situation of BDv infection among normal persons and died horses in Heilongjiang area and demonstrate the relationship between these isolates with those from the schizophrenia patients and horses in the world.

  Methods   Nested RT-PCR was used to detect BDV p24 gene from PBMCs of normal persons and horses in Heilongjiang area, and two positive nested-PCR products of each specimen were cloned and sequenced Then the sequences were compared with those of the isolates from schizophrenia patients and horses in the world

  Results   7 of 76 persons (9.2%)and 8 of 34 horses(23.5%)were found to be BDV-p24 positive.Exceptwiththe strain No/98.these nested RT-PCR products were highly conservative with the isolates from schizophrenia patients and horses in the world. At the nucleotide level, the divergenoas between the products and these isolates were all below 5%.and the conservation between these products with the standard strain of He/80 was the highest, more than 98%.

  Conclusion   BDV infection existed in normal persons and horses in Heilongjiang area.BDV irffecting the normal persons and horses in China was highly conservative with the standard strain of Fie/80.