Borna Disease Virus 1 as Cause of Fatal Meningoencephalomyelitis in Wild Hedgehogs, Germany, 2022-2025.

Abstract

Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) causes encephalitis with a fatality rate of >90% in domestic mammals and humans. Currently, the bicolored white-toothed shrew is the only known reservoir host. We report BoDV-1 infections in 15 wild European hedgehogs from an endemic area in Germany. Because hedgehogs are distant relatives of shrews and often cared for by humans, the cases raise concern regarding a potential zoonotic risk. All the hedgehogs that tested positive for BoDV-1 died of neurological disease and exhibited severe polio-predominant lymphoplasmohistiocytic meningoencephalitis. However, because of the detection of viral antigens in nonneural cells in 1 animal, we cannot completely exclude that some infected hedgehogs shed the virus. Although direct BoDV-1 transmission is known to be inefficient, our results emphasize the necessity of hygiene measures when handling hedgehogs, especially those with neurological signs who are from BoDV-1-endemic regions.