No borna disease virus-specific RNA detected in blood of race horses and jockeys.

The research article discusses a study attempting to find a correlation between the Borna disease virus (BDV) infection in race horses and humans, particularly jockeys who have close contact with these horses. The study, however, found no evidence of BDV in either the horses or the jockeys tested.

Study Objectives and Methods

• The primary goal of the study was to explore if BDV, a virus known to affect horses and sheep causing various behavioural disorders, can potentially infect humans and lead to psychiatric disorders. To achieve this, the researchers examined BDV-derived nucleic acids in the blood samples of race horses and jockeys riding them.
• The scientists used samples from 39 race horses and 48 jockeys as a base for their study. RNA was extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of these subjects, which served the purpose of the specimen in the study.
• To detect the presence of the BDV genome in the extracted RNA, two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocols were utilized: the one-tube reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the two-step RT-PCR. BDV p24 and p40 transcripts were targeted in these analyses.

Study Findings and Conclusions

• The results of the research indicated that neither the p24 nor p40 viral nucleic acid sequences were detected in the PBMC RNAs from any of the race horses or jockeys in the sample group.
• Based on these findings, the study concluded that there’s no evidence to suggest an epidemiological association between BDV infection in race horses and humans. This suggests that BDV does not appear to transfer to humans even in close contact situations such as those of race horses and their jockeys.