Deadly Squirrel Virus May Have Killed Three German Breeders

New findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine link the death of three squirrel breeders in Germany to a new bornavirus. Though this group of viruses typically infect animals like birds, horses and sheep, researchers discovered that the new type was transmitted from squirrels to humans. 

Bites and/or scratches from infected squirrels resulted in three fatal bouts of encephalitis, according to a statement from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, in which the organization details the discovery as an "emerging threat."

Between 2011 and 2013, the three men died within two to four months following infection, with symptoms ranging from chills to fever and weakness, along with confusion and difficulty walking.

The condition, which is typically characterized by brain swelling and a virus, did not show results of encephalitis. Yet more detailed genetic tests revealed that the squirrels carried the new virus, which the researchers named VSBV-1. Antibodies were also later found in both the blood and spinal fluid of one of the men, which likely lead to the fatal brain inflammation, according to Live Science.

Furthermore, researchers discovered that at least two of the three men, who were in their 60s and 70s, had been bitten or scratched by variegated squirrels, otherwise known as a breed that's native to southern Mexico and Central America.

Until scientists get a better grasp on how the virus operates, European health officials recommend to avoid feeding squirrels or coming into direct contact with living or dead variegated squirrels as a precautionary measure.

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