Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and markers of Borna disease virus in cats with staggering
By Wensman, Jonas J et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2012·Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Markers of Borna disease virus infection in cats with staggering disease.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with staggering disease, which causes unsteady movements, were tested for Borna disease virus (BDV) infection. Out of 19 cats showing neurological signs, 17 had markers of BDV in their blood, with the most common being specific antibodies. This suggests that testing for BDV can help veterinarians diagnose staggering disease more accurately while the cat is still alive. The study highlights the importance of combining clinical signs with blood tests to improve diagnosis and treatment options for affected cats.
People also search for: cat staggering disease symptoms · Borna disease virus in cats · cat neurological disorder diagnosis
Abstract
Borna disease virus (BDV) is a RNA-virus causing neurological disorders in a wide range of mammals. In cats, BDV infection may cause staggering disease. Presently, staggering disease is a tentative clinical diagnosis, only confirmed at necropsy. In this study, cats with staggering disease were investigated to study markers of BDV infection aiming for improvement of current diagnostics. Nineteen cats fulfilled the inclusion criteria based on neurological signs and pathological findings. In 17/19 cats, BDV infection markers (BDV-specific antibodies and/or BDV-RNA) were found, and antibodies in serum (13/16, 81%) were the most common marker. BDV-RNA was found in 11/19 cats (58%). In a reference population without neurological signs, 4/25 cats were seropositive (16%). The clinical history and neurological signs in combination with presence of BDV infection markers, where serology and rRT-PCR on blood can be helpful tools, improve the diagnostic accuracy in the living cat.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22553310/