The person in Middle Franconia who contracted the rare Bornavirus has now died as a result of the infection. A spokeswoman for the Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district office announced this on Monday. The authority informed about the case of infection in the district on November 21st.
According to information, the Borna virus (BoDV-1 – Borna Disease Virus 1) occurs in the field shrew and causes inflammation of the brain, which is fatal in almost all cases. The animals excrete the virus in urine, feces and saliva. Other mammals can become infected through this. The exact route of transmission to humans is still unknown and is part of research. In this case too, the State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) is currently trying to trace the transmission.
So far, around 50 cases of Borna virus disease in humans are known nationwide. The Robert Koch Institute assumes that there are two to six illnesses every year in Germany, with Bavaria being particularly affected. To protect yourself from infection, the LGL advises that you generally avoid contact with shrews and their excrement.
Places where people could come into contact with shrews include road embankments, stone walls, hedges and generally sheds and other parts of buildings accessible to small wild animals. It is not yet known whether garden shrews and house shrews can also transmit the Borna virus.