Multifocal retinopathy in Borna disease virus infected rabbits

Experimental infection of rabbits with Borna disease virus led in all cases to a multifocal retinopathy that paralleled the clinical neurologic symptoms. The retinal changes always became evident first in the lower anterior quadrant of the eye. Infectious virus and antigen were detected in altered and unaltered regions of the retina. Individual chorioretinal lesions showed destruction of the pigment epithelium and the photoreceptors and perivascular inflammation close to small choroidal veins. Because of maximal antigen accumulation and the focal destruction of the retinal pigment epithelium we consider this cell layer to be the initially damaged structure.