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We tested 130 rats captured in Berlin for coronaviruses. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 1 rat, but all animals were negative by reverse transcription PCR, suggesting SARS-CoV-2 was not circulating in the rat population. However, alphacoronaviruses were found. Monitoring rodent populations helps to determine coronavirus occurrence, transmission, and zoonotic potential.

We identified a novel lineage of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, tentatively named lineage V, in wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) from Germany. Wood mouse–derived lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus can be found across a substantially greater range than previously thought. Increased surveillance is needed to determine its geographic range and zoonotic potential.

A cluster of 3 persons in Germany experienced hantavirus disease with renal insufficiency. Reverse transcription PCR–based genotyping revealed infection by Seoul hantavirus transmitted from pet rats. Seoul virus could be responsible for disease clusters in Europe, and infected pet rats should be considered a health threat.

ABSTRACTIn 2021, a white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) succumbed to illness shortly after transfer from one zoo to another in Germany, due to Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica infection. To determine the source of infection, whole genome sequencing of the gibbon-derived isolate was performed and wild pest rodents (and captive squirrels) from both zoos were screened for F. tularensis. The F. tularensis whole genome sequence obtained from the gibbon was closely related to previous subclade B.281 sequences obtained from hares from Baden-Wuerttemberg, the same region where the gibbon was first housed. However, F. tularensis DNA was detected in one Norway rat from the receiving zoo. Therefore, neither zoo can be excluded as the source of infection.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis mammarenavirus (LCMV) is a globally distributed zoonotic pathogen transmitted by house mice (Mus musculus). We report the reemergence of LCMV (lineages I and II) in wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) and LCMV lineage I in a diseased golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) from a zoo in Germany.

Seoul orthohantavirus (SEOV) is a rat-associated zoonotic pathogen with an almost worldwide distribution. In 2019, the first autochthonous human case of SEOV-induced hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome was reported in Germany, and a pet rat was identified as the source of the zoonotic infection. To further investigate the SEOV reservoir, additional rats from the patient and another owner, all of which were purchased from the same vendor, were tested. SEOV RNA and anti-SEOV antibodies were found in both of the patient’s rats and in two of the three rats belonging to the other owner. The complete coding sequences of the small (S), medium (M), and large (L) segments obtained from one rat per owner exhibited a high sequence similarity to SEOV strains of breeder rat or human origin from the Netherlands, France, the USA, and Great Britain. Serological screening of 490 rats from breeding facilities and 563 wild rats from Germany (2007–2020) as well as 594 wild rats from the Netherlands (2013–2021) revealed 1 and 6 seropositive individuals, respectively. However, SEOV RNA was not detected in any of these animals. Increased surveillance of pet, breeder, and wild rats is needed to identify the origin of the SEOV strain in Europe and to develop measures to prevent transmission to the human population.

Rodentia is the most speciose mammalian order, found across the globe, with some species occurring in close proximity to humans. Furthermore, rodents are known hosts for a variety of zoonotic pathogens. Among other animal species, rodents came into focus when the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread through human populations across the globe, initially as laboratory animals to study the viral pathogenesis and to test countermeasures. Under experimental conditions, some rodent species including several cricetid species are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and a few of them can transmit the virus to conspecifics. To investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 is also spreading in wild rodent populations in Germany, we serologically tested samples of free-ranging bank voles (Myodes glareolus, n = 694), common voles (Microtus arvalis, n = 2), house mice (Mus musculus, n = 27), brown or Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus, n = 97) and Apodemus species (n = 8) for antibodies against the virus. The samples were collected from 2020 to 2022 in seven German federal states. All but one sample tested negative by a multispecies ELISA based on the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2. The remaining sample, from a common vole collected in 2021, was within the inconclusive range of the RBD-ELISA, but this result could not be confirmed by a surrogate virus neutralization test as the sample gave a negative result in this test. These results indicate that SARS-CoV-2 has not become highly prevalent in wild rodent populations in Germany.

Mammals, born with a near-sterile intestinal tract, are inoculated with their mothers' microbiome during birth. Thereafter, extrinsic and intrinsic factors shape their intestinal microbe assemblage. Wastewater treatment works (WWTW), sites synonymous with pollutants and pathogens, receive influent from domestic, agricultural and industrial sources. The high nutrient content of wastewater supports abundant populations of chironomid midges (Diptera), which transfer these toxicants and potential pathogens to their predators, such as the banana bat Neoromicia nana (Vespertilionidae), thereby influencing their intestinal microbial assemblages. We used next generation sequencing and 16S rRNA gene profiling to identify and compare intestinal bacteria of N. nana at two reference sites and two WWTW sites. We describe the shared intestinal microbiome of the insectivorous bat, N. nana, consisting of seven phyla and eleven classes. Further, multivariate analyses revealed that location was the most significant driver (sex, body size and condition were not significant) of intestinal microbiome diversity. Bats at WWTW sites exhibited greater intestinal microbiota diversity than those at reference sites, likely due to wastewater exposure, stress and/or altered diet. Changes in their intestinal microbiota assemblages may allow these bats to cope with concomitant stressors.