Spatiotemporal Distribution of in European Hedgehogs in Northern Italy.

Growing attention is being given to the European hedgehog () because of its synanthropic behaviour and its potential role in harbouring parasites, viruses, fungi and bacteria and disseminating them to several animals and humans. are the most frequently detected zoonotic bacteria that hedgehogs could transmit through contaminating water and food sources with faeces. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of spp. in wild hedgehogs in the Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy). From 2019 to 2022, 212 European hedgehogs that died naturally were tested for spp. through culture isolation. Positive samples were subjected to serological typing. A total of 82 samples tested positive for spp., with the overall Bayesian posterior estimated prevalence ranging from 35% (95% CI: 23-47%) to a maximum of 45% (95% CI: 31-59%) during the years considered and with an overall prevalence calculated at 39% (95% CI: 33-45%). Enteritidis and Veneziana were the most prevalent detected serovars in 65% and 17% of the positive samples, respectively. Since 2021, Typhimurium, Typhimurium Monofasica, Zaiman, Hessarek, Muenster, Isangi serovars, subsp. Diarizonae and subsp. Houtenae have been detected. These findings show a high prevalence of spp. in tested hedgehogs, suggesting an important role of this animal species in the epidemiology of potentially zoonotic serovars circulating in the Emilia-Romagna region.