Taming of the shrew: Bicolored shrew a health risk for horses
Friday, April 11, 2014 - 10:52
in Biology & Nature
The bicolored shrew is a protected species in Central Europe, but these furry insect-eaters have a dark secret. Researchers have discovered that bicolored shrews carry the Borna virus. Infection with this virus causes fatal encephalitis in horses. The mechanisms of transmission had until now been unclear, but we now know more about one route - from bicolored shrews to hosts.