Clinical analysis of Bornavirus Encephalitis cases demonstrates a small time window for Etiological Diagnostics and treatment attempts, a large case series from Germany 1996-2022.

The extremely rapid progression is the most obvious clinical characteristic of bornavirus encephalitis and the timeframe for diagnosis and targeted therapy is very short. Therefore, our results demand an early clinical suspicion based on symptomatology, epidemiology, imaging, and laboratory findings, followed by prompt virological testing as a prerequisite for any potentially effective treatment.