Non‐suppurative encephalitides in a variety of species, including humans and dogs, have been linked to infection by astroviruses and bornaviruses.
To determine whether or not ribonucleic acid of astroviruses or bornaviruses was present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of dogs with clinically diagnosed meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown etiology (MUE).
Twenty‐five client‐owned dogs evaluated by CSF analysis at a single university referral hospital.
Prospective case‐control study. Cerebrospinal fluid was collected from clinically diagnosed MUE and control cases and evaluated by reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for the presence of astrovirus and bornavirus.