Tengstrand, Sofia
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Research article2023Peer reviewedOpen access
Mystery of fatal 'staggering disease' unravelled: novel rustrela virus causes severe meningoencephalomyelitis in domestic cats
Matiasek, Kaspar; Pfaff, Florian; Weissenböck, Herbert; Wylezich, Claudia; Kolodziejek, Jolanta; Tengstrand, Sofia; Ecke, Frauke; Nippert, Sina; Starcky, Philip; Litz, Benedikt; Nessler, Jasmin; Wohlsein, Peter; Baumbach, Christina; Mundhenk, Lars; Aebischer, Andrea; Reiche, Sven; Weidinger, Pia; Olofsson, Karin M.; Rohdin, Cecilia; Weissenbacher-Lang, Christiane;
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Abstract
'Staggering disease' is a neurological disease entity considered a threat to European domestic cats (Felis catus) for almost five decades. However, its aetiology has remained obscure. Rustrela virus (RusV), a relative of rubella virus, has recently been shown to be associated with encephalitis in a broad range of mammalian hosts. Here, we report the detection of RusV RNA and antigen by metagenomic sequencing, RT-qPCR, in-situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in brain tissues of 27 out of 29 cats with non-suppurative meningoencephalomyelitis and clinical signs compatible with'staggering disease' from Sweden, Austria, and Germany, but not in non-affected control cats. Screening of possible reservoir hosts in Sweden revealed RusV infection in wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus). Our work indicates that RusV is the long-sought cause of feline 'staggering disease'. Given its reported broad host spectrum and considerable geographic range, RusV may be the aetiological agent of neuropathologies in further mammals, possibly even including humans.
Published in
Nature Communications
2023, Volume: 14, number: 1, article number: 624
Ecke, Frauke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- University of Helsinki
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Rohdin, Cecilia
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Albano Animal Hospital
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Hörnfeldt, Birger
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Ley, Cecilia
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- National Veterinary Institute (SVA)
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
SLU Authors
UKÄ Subject classification
Clinical Science
Publication identifier
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36204-w
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/121376