Healthcare-associated exposure to Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1)

The Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) causes severe and often fatal encephalitis in humans. The virus is endemic in parts of Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Austria. As an increasing number of human BoDV-1 encephalitis cases is being diagnosed, the chance for healthcare professionals to come into contact with infected tissues and bodily fluids from patients with known acute bornavirus encephalitis is also increasing. Therefore, risk assessments are needed. Based on three different incidences of possible exposure to BoDV-1 including an autopsy knife injury, a needlestick injury, and a spill accident with cerebrospinal fluid from patients with acute BoDV-1 encephalitis, we perform risk assessments and review published data. BoDV-1 infection status of the index patient’s tissues and bodily fluids to which contact had occurred should be determined. There is only scarce evidence for possible postexposure prophylaxis, serology, and imaging in healthcare professionals who possibly came into contact with the virus. Despite decade-long laboratory work with BoDV-1, not a single clinically apparent laboratory infection has been published. Given the increasing number of severe or fatal BoDV-1 encephalitis cases, there is a growing need for efficacy-tested, potent antiviral therapeutics against BoDV-1 in humans, both in clinically ill patients and possibly as postexposure prophylaxis in healthcare professionals.