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. 2025 Mar 26;14(4):342.
doi: 10.3390/biology14040342.

The Presence of Bacterial and Protozoan Pathogens in Wild Fallow Deer (Dama dama) from a Protected Area in Central Italy

Valentina Virginia Ebani  1   2 , Paolo Bongi  3 , Chiara Trebino  1 , Fabrizio Bertelloni  1 , Giulia Cagnoli  1 , Benedetta Bigliazzi  1 , Marco Del Frate  3 , Marco Apollonio  3 , Francesca Mancianti  1
Affiliations

The Presence of Bacterial and Protozoan Pathogens in Wild Fallow Deer (Dama dama) from a Protected Area in Central Italy

Valentina Virginia Ebani et al. Biology (Basel). .

Abstract

Wild ruminants often harbor pathogens transmissible to other animals and humans, but their epidemiological role is not always defined for all microorganisms. In this survey, spleens, kidneys, and hearts sampled from 162 fallow deer (Dama dama) were subjected to molecular analyses to detect bacterial (Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Brucella spp., Chlamydia abortus, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, Leptospira spp.) and protozoan (piroplasms, Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii) pathogens. Five (3.08%) spleens were positive for A. phagocytophilum, and twelve (7.40%) spleens were positive for Theileria cervi. The remaining pathogens investigated were not detected, and no coinfections were found. The analyzed animals do not seem to have a relevant role in the spreading of these pathogens; however, monitoring is pivotal to understand the epidemiological scenarios and take appropriate preventive measures in areas frequently visited by people.

Keywords: Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Theileria cervi; fallow deer; pathogens.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of the study area. Light green line represents a border of the study area, while star represents the leaning tower.
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