Warning of Bornavirus: Ebersberg on alert!

Warning of Bornavirus: Ebersberg on alert!

alarm in Bavaria! The district office Ebersberg has expressed an urgent warning of the dangerous Bornavirus. Although the danger is classified as very low, several animals have already been infected. The excitement began when horses were reported with suspected infection in summer and three hedgehogs were tested positively. Particularly worrying: In a nursing station in Eggenfelden, infected hedgehogs were also found in September, which further tightened the situation.

Threat for people

The bornavirus (bodv-1) can also infect people in extremely rare cases and often leads to fatal brain inflammation. The Feldspitzmaus is considered the main transmitter of this insidious virus. Infected mice divide the virus over its urine, feces and saliva, which means that other mammals can be at risk. Therefore, the highest caution is required: dead pointed mice should never be touched with bare hands, and when contact with igles, protection is essential, especially if they are weakened animals that are treated in care stations.

According to the Robert Koch Institute, up to six cases have been registered nationwide a year since the introduction of a reporting obligation in 2020, with most of them from Bavaria. The Bornavirus is particularly common in Germany in Bavaria, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony as well as in adjacent federal states. The authorities urgently advise caution to prevent further spread.