[Symptomatology and diagnosis of Borna encephalitis of horses. A case analysis of the last 13 years].

The research examines Borna encephalitis in horses, focusing on the disease’s symptoms, diagnosis, and epidemiology, and analyzing data gathered from 38 affected horses during 1977-1990. The study found that pre-mortem diagnosis was possible in 61% of the cases.

Epidemiology and Clinical Symptoms

• The researchers carried out a retrospective study on 38 horses clinically and histopathologically diagnosed with Borna encephalitis at the “I. Medizinische Tierklinik” in Munich between 1977 and 1990.
• The study took into account the epidemiology of the disease and its clinical manifestations or symptoms in affected horses. No details are given in the abstract about the specific symptoms investigated, nor about the geographical spread or prevalence of the disease within the population studied.

Diagnostic Procedures and Findings

• The diagnosis of Borna encephalitis was reached using indirect immunofluorescence, a technique that visualizes antibodies. This test was performed on serum samples from 29 horses, yielding positive results in 41% of the cases, and on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 28 horses, showing positive in 61% of cases.
• A more detailed examination was performed on 23 cases, involving indirect immunofluorescence of both serum and CSF, alongside post-mortem virological and histopathological examination of the brain. This comprehensive analysis led to a diagnosis of Borna encephalitis in 61% of the cases before the horse’s death.

Post-mortem Diagnosis

• In contrast to the above findings, in 39% of the cases, the diagnosis of Borna encephalitis could only be confirmed post-mortem. This suggests that the disease can be challenging to diagnose pre-mortem in a significant proportion of cases, pointing to the potential need for improved diagnostic techniques.

Overall, this research confirms the effectiveness of certain diagnostic methodologies, such as testing of serum and CSF using indirect immunofluorescence, in identifying Borna encephalitis in horses. Yet it also highlights the fact that a substantial number of cases are only diagnosed post-mortem, indicating a room for the enhancement of early diagnosis methods.