Effect of Borna disease virus infection on athymic rats

Homozygous athymic nude rats (rnu/rnu) infected intracerebrally with Borna disease virus produced relatively high titres of infectious virus in the central nervous system. However, no clinical signs of disease or pathological alterations could be found during a 100 day observation period. In contrast, heterozygous euthymic albino littermates (rnu/+), which were used as controls, reacted in a similar manner to immunocompetent Lewis rats. They developed behavioural alterations which coincided with encephalitis and retinitis. The results obtained confirm our previous concept that the genesis of Borna disease, at least in rats, is attributed to a cellular immune response.