Zoonotic Infections Among Employees from Great Smoky Mountains and Rocky Mountain National Parks, 2008–2009

A study of U.S. National Park Service employees at Great Smoky Mountains and Rocky Mountain National Parks revealed significant exposure to zoonotic pathogens, with 31.9% testing positive for California serogroup bunyaviruses and notable prevalence of other agents like Bartonella henselae (26.7%) and spotted fever group rickettsiae (22.2%). Over a year, incident infections were detected in 5.7% of employees at Great Smoky Mountains, including leptospirosis, B. henselae, and others, while Rocky Mountain employees showed higher rates of spotted fever group rickettsiae (8.5%) and B. henselae (4.3%). Resource managers and law enforcement rangers faced the highest risk, with odds ratios of 7.4 and 6.5, respectively. The findings underscore the need for targeted guidelines to mitigate exposure risks for park staff.

Adjemian, J., Weber, I. B., McQuiston, J., Griffith, K. S., Mead, P. S., Nicholson, W., Roche, A., Schriefer, M., Fischer, M., Kosoy, O., Laven, J. J., Stoddard, R. A., Hoffmaster, A. R., Smith, T., Bui, D., Wilkins, P. P., Jones, J. L., Gupton, P. N., Quinn, C. P., et al. (2012). Zoonotic Infections Among Employees from Great Smoky Mountains and Rocky Mountain National Parks, 2008–2009. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 12(11), 922–931. https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2011.0917