Seven-year-old boy dies of Borna virus: mourning in the Upper Bavarian community

Created: 08/03/2022, 06:37

By: Markus Christandl

Borna virus is transmitted by field shrews.

© dpa/Uwe Anspach/Frank Rumpenhorst (merkur.de collage)

A boy from the Maitenbeth community in the Mühldorf district apparently died of the Borna virus.

The health department is launching an investigation.

Maitenbeth – Deep sorrow in the Upper Bavarian community of Maitenbeth in the district of Mühldorf: The boy, who was infected with the extremely rare Borna virus (we reported), died according to information from our newspaper.

A funeral service was to be held for the seven-year-old at St. Agatha's Parish Church last night.

The child will be buried today.

The boy is the second child to die in Maitenbeth from the virus transmitted by the field shrew.

The other death was three years ago.

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Borna virus: Bub died in the Mühldorf district – the district office does not confirm the death

The Mühldorf district office does not want to confirm or deny the current death.

Only the infection with the Borna virus must be reported.

There is no obligation to report the further course of an illness to the health department.

"Therefore, we cannot provide any further information about the current case," said the authority in response to a written request.

As reported, the State Office for Health and Food Safety wants to track down the Borna virus with an investigation.

The municipality of Maitenbeth plays a central role in this.

Two people had been infected with the rare virus there in the past three years, and three in the entire Mühldorf district.

A total of only 40 cases are known in Germany.

Therefore, a study is currently underway in Maitenbeth, citizens were able to voluntarily donate blood.

How the health department will proceed with regard to a possible large shrew population is still open.

It has not yet been conclusively clarified whether fighting the animals is expedient, they say.