Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Seroprevalence in a Cohort of German Forestry Workers

Forestry workers are exposed, through their occupation, to a variety of zoonotic pathogens. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a zoonotic agent typically transmitted through the excreta of infected rodents. Current knowledge concerning the prevalence of LCMV in wild house mice (<i>Mus musculus</i>) in Germany is limited, with the majority of data coming from studies during the 1960s and 1970s and only from the western and southern federal states. In this study, blood samples from 563 forestry workers, collected in 2008 from ten forestry offices in Brandenburg, Germany, were screened for LCMV-reactive antibodies. In total, LCMV-reactive antibodies were detected in 1.4% (8/563) of samples. The seroprevalence varied between 0% and 6.3% depending on the forestry office, with the highest prevalence in Alt Ruppin. A parallel serological pilot study of house mice from a neighbouring federal state also indicates a very low prevalence. Although forestry workers are often at increased risk of zoonotic infection, this seroprevalence is comparable to that from a 1960s study from what was, at that time, West Germany. This study provides the first evidence of LCMV in humans from Brandenburg and highlights the need for an increased LCMV screening effort in humans and wild rodents in Germany.