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Mystery of fatal ‘staggering disease’ unravelled: novel rustrela virus causes severe meningoencephalomyelitis in domestic cats

Veterinary Science

Mystery of fatal ‘staggering disease’ unravelled: novel rustrela virus causes severe meningoencephalomyelitis in domestic cats

K. Matiasek, F. Pfaff, et al.

Recent research reveals that the Rustrela virus (RusV), long-suspected in feline 'staggering disease', has been detected in brain tissues of affected domestic cats, shedding light on this mysterious neurological disorder. Conducted by a team of experts including Kaspar Matiasek and Florian Pfaff, this study also identifies wood mice as potential reservoir hosts, raising concerns about broader implications for other mammals, including humans.

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Playback language: English
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.
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published On
Feb 04, 2023
Authors
Kaspar Matiasek, Florian Pfaff, Herbert Weissenböck, Claudia Wylezich, Jolanta Kolodziejek, Sofia Tengstrand, Frauke Ecke, Sina Nippert, Philip Starcky, Benedikt Litz, Jasmin Nessler, Peter Wohlsein, Christina Baumbach, Lars Mundhenk, Andrea Aebischer, Sven Reiche, Pia Weidinger, Karin M. Olofsson, Cecilia Rohdin, Christiane Weissenbacher-Lang, Julia Matt, Marco Rosati, Thomas Flegel, Birger Hörnfeldt, Dirk Höper, Rainer G. Ulrich, Norbert Nowotny, Martin Beer, Cecilia Ley, Dennis Rubbenstroth
Tags
Rustrela virus
staggering disease
neurological disease
feline
infection
mammals
reservoir hosts
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