Neurotropic and Latent Viruses in Animal Hosts: Ecology, Persistence, and Zoonotic Potential

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 533

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will bring together cutting-edge research articles on viruses that exhibit neurotropism or latency in domestic and wild animals. These viruses often persist silently within their hosts, occasionally reactivating or causing neurological disease, and some carry significant zoonotic potential. This Special Issue will highlight ecological drivers, molecular mechanisms, and surveillance strategies relevant to these pathogens from a One Health perspective.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Bornaviruses and their role in neurological disorders in animals;
  • Porcine lymphotropic herpesviruses (PLHVs) and their implications for co-infections and xenotransplantation;
  • Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in wildlife and livestock reservoirs;
  • Herpesviruses with latent and neuroinvasive properties (e.g., EHV-1, BoHV-1, SuHV-1);
  • Rabies virus and other Lyssaviruses in domestic and wild carnivores;
  • West Nile virus and other flaviviruses with neurotropic behavior;
  • Henipaviruses (Nipah, Hendra) and their emergence at wildlife–livestock interfaces;
  • Canine distemper virus and its impact on wildlife conservation;
  • Astroviruses with neuroinvasive potential;
  • Host–virus interactions, immune evasion, and reactivation mechanisms;
  • Zoonotic risk and One Health implications of neurotropic and latent viruses.

Dr. Jelena Prpić
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • herpesviruses
  • One Health
  • neurotropic viruses
  • latent viruses

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 572 KB  
Article
Absence of Bornavirus RNA in Wild Canids and Mustelids in Croatia
by Andreja Jungić, Jelena Prpić, Antun Beljan, Marina Prišlin Šimac, Dinko Novosel, Šimun Naletilić, Marica Lolić, Iva Kilvain, Tibor Andreanszky, Vladimir Savić, Lorena Jemeršić, Mario Škrivanko and Ivana Lojkić
Microorganisms 2026, 14(4), 876; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14040876 - 13 Apr 2026
Viewed by 268
Abstract
Bornaviruses are neurotropic, negative-sense RNA viruses with zoonotic potential, notably Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) and variegated squirrel bornavirus 1 (VSBV-1). BoDV-1 is endemic in certain regions of Central Europe and maintained in bicolored white-toothed shrews, but its presence in Croatia has not [...] Read more.
Bornaviruses are neurotropic, negative-sense RNA viruses with zoonotic potential, notably Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) and variegated squirrel bornavirus 1 (VSBV-1). BoDV-1 is endemic in certain regions of Central Europe and maintained in bicolored white-toothed shrews, but its presence in Croatia has not been investigated. Given Croatia’s diverse biogeography and the prevalence of rodent-borne diseases, this study aimed to investigate the presence of orthobornaviruses in wild canids and mustelids. Brain samples from red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), golden jackals (Canis aureus moreoticus), wolves (Canis lupus), martens (Martes martes) and badgers (Meles meles) were analysed using pan-bornavirus RT-PCR. Despite successful RNA extraction and internal control amplification, bornavirus RNA was not detected in any of the 860 animal samples tested. Although no orthobornavirus RNA was detected, the results still provide valuable information: bornavirus infections appear to be absent or extremely rare in Croatian wild canids and mustelids. By excluding these species as current potential reservoir hosts, this study helps to refine the geographical extent of bornavirus endemicity and emphasises the importance of continuous One Health surveillance in regions with favourable ecological conditions for zoonotic spillover. Full article
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