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To the Editor: Brucella microti is a recently described Brucella species (1) that was isolated in 2000 from systemically infected common voles (Microtus arvalis) in South Moravia, Czech Republic. The organism is characterized by rapid growth on standard media and high metabolic activity, which is atypical for Brucella (2). The biochemical profile of B. microti is more similar to that of Ochrobactrum spp., of which most species are typical soil bacteria. On the basis of the close phylogenetic relationship of Brucella spp. and Ochrobactrum spp. and the high metabolic activity of B. microti, we hypothesized that this Brucella species might also have a reservoir in soil. To test this hypothesis, we investigated 15 soil samples collected on December 11, 2007, from sites in the area where B. microti was isolated from common voles in 2000 (2). Ten of the samples were collected from the surface and at a depth of up to 5 cm near …