ArticleVirology journal2016
Screening red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) for possible viral causes of encephalitis.
Article in Virology journal, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Absence of Bornavirus RNA in Wild Canids and Mustelids in Croatia.Microorganisms · 2026Article
- Occurrence of viral and bacterial pathogens in South American camelids in representative German flocks.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2026Article
- Concurrent severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus outbreaks on multiple fox farms, China, 2023.Emerging microbes & infections · 2025Article
- Imaging Diagnosis of Hydrocephalus in a Fox Cub-Case Study.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Experimental infection of shrews (PNAS nexus · 2025Article
- Case Report: Meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin in foxes (Frontiers in veterinary science · 2025Article
- Canine Distemper Virus Infection in the Free-Living Wild Canines, the Red Fox (Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Suid alphaherpesvirus 1 of wild boar origin as a recent source of Aujeszky's disease in carnivores in Germany.Virology journal · 2023Article
- Pathogen Screening for Possible Causes of Meningitis/Encephalitis in Wild Carnivores From Saxony-Anhalt.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2022Article
- No evidence for European bats serving as reservoir for Borna disease virus 1 or other known mammalian orthobornaviruses.Virology journal · 2020Article
- Infectious Causation of Abnormal Host Behavior:Frontiers in psychiatry · 2020Article
- Ecology and epidemiology of rabies in humans, domestic animals and wildlife in Namibia, 2011-2017.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2019Article
- Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) No 2016/429): Borna disease.EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority · 2017Article
- Infections of horses and shrews with Bornaviruses in Upper Austria: a novel endemic area of Borna disease.Emerging microbes & infections · 2017Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNext to various known infectious and non-infectious causes, the aetiology of non-suppurative encephalitis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) often remains unclear. Known causes in foxes imply rabies, canine distemper, toxoplasmosis, Aujeszky's disease, as well as parvovirus, adenovirus, circovirus and flavivirus infections. In this study, particular attention was paid on bornaviruses, since red foxes are predators of bicoloured white-toothed shrews, a reservoir of Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1). In addition, foxes are known to be highly susceptible for viruses of the order Mononegavirales.
methodsAnalyses for the presence of anti-BoDV-1 antibodies, BoDV-1-RNA and antigen were performed on 225 blood and 59 brain samples, from a total of 232 red foxes. Foxes originated from BoDV-1 endemic and non-endemic German areas. Additional investigations for the presence of rabies, canine distemper, toxoplasmosis, Aujeszky's disease, parvovirus, adenovirus and flavivirus infections were carried out on 16 red foxes with non-suppurative (meningo-) encephalitis. A metagenomic analysis was used on three representative brain samples displaying encephalitis.
resultsAmong 225 foxes, 37 displayed anti-BoDV-1 antibodies with titres ranging between 1:40 and 1:2560, regardless of geographic origin. In 6 out of 16 foxes with encephalitis, canine distemper virus was detected. No evidence of any of the other investigated agents was found in the 16 fox brains with encephalitis. Metagenomics revealed no infectious agents, except for one already known canine distemper case.
conclusionRed foxes can exhibit BoDV-1 specific antibodies without association with geographic origin or encephalitis due to bornavirus infection. The encephalitis pattern was highly conspicuous for a viral infection, but remained unclear in 10 out of 16 foxes. Thus, presently unknown infectious and non-infectious causes need to be considered and further investigated, especially since foxes also tend to occur in human proximity.
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