Bornaviridae

Bornaviridae is a family of viruses in the order Mononegavirales. Horses, sheep, cattle, rodents, birds, reptiles, and humans serve as natural hosts. Currently, 18 viruses are assigned to ten species included in two genera in this family. Bornaviruses may cause encephalitis in mammals like horses or sheep. Diseases associated with bornaviruses include Borna disease, a fatal neurologic disease of mammals restricted to central Europe; and proventricular dilatation disease in birds. Borna disease was first identified in 1926 and its genome was isolated in 1990. In 1996, ICTV proposed the creation of the family Bornaviridae along with the genus Bornavirus (today Orthobornavirus). The viral family is named after the city of Borna in Saxony, Germany, which is where a large number of animals were lost to the sporadic encephalopathy caused by the viral disease.