Presence of enteric bacterial pathogens in meat samples of wild boar hunted in Campania region, southern Italy.

Wild boars can be infected with several foodborne pathogens which may be transmitted to humans through the consumption of their meat, but currently, data of their prevalence are still limited. The present study aimed to evaluate the presence of enteric pathogens in wild boar meat samples killed in the Campania region. Twentyeight wild boar meat samples were analyzed for the detection of spp, , spp., and Shiga- Toxigenic spp. was detected and isolated in ten samples and after serotyping Veneziana, Kasenyi, Coeln, Manhattan, Thompson, and Stanleyville were identified. Twenty-one meat samples were found to be contaminated with ; in 6 samples the A and B genes were detected simultaneously, while in 15 only the B gene, which characterizes the bacteria belonging to the biotype 1A, was present. Shiga-Toxin producing was detected in 12 while spp was never detected. In conclusion, due to the high occurrence of pathogenic bacteria detected, the present research shows that wild boars are important reservoirs for foodborne zoonoses which may be transmitted to livestock and humans. This confirms the importance of controls throughout the wild boar supply chain. In the Campania region, checks are guaranteed by the Veterinarians who work within the "management and control plan for wild boar in the Campania region" which has the twofold objective of containing the increasingly invasive presence of this animal and guaranteeing greater safety, traceability, and transparency in the consumption of meat.