Synergistic antiviral activity of Ribavirin and interferon-α against parrot bornaviruses in avian cells

Avian bornaviruses are the causative agents of proventricular dilatation disease (PDD), a widely distributed and often fatal disease in captive psittacines. Because neither specific prevention measures nor therapies against PDD and bornavirus infections are currently available, new antiviral strategies are required to improve animal health. We show here that the nucleoside analogue Ribavirin inhibited bornavirus activity in a polymerase reconstitution assay and reduced viral load in avian cell lines infected with two different parrot bornaviruses. Furthermore, we observed that Ribavirin enhanced type I interferon signaling in avian cells. Combined treatment of avian bornavirus-infected cells with Ribavirin and recombinant interferon alpha strongly enhanced the antiviral efficiency compared to either drug alone. The combined use of Ribavirin and type I interferon might represent a promising new strategy for therapeutic treatment of captive parrots persistently infected with avian bornaviruses.