Salmonella spp. is an important zoonotic agent. Wild boars might host this pathogen in the intestinal tract and might represent a risk for Salmonella spp. transmission to humans. Wild boars are widely spread in Liguria, due to the environmental characteristics of the region. The aim of the study was the isolation, typing, and investigation of antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated strains of Salmonella spp. During the 2013-2017 hunting seasons, 4335 livers of wild boars were collected and analyzed for the presence of Salmonella spp. A total of 260 strains of Salmonella spp. were isolated and characterized, with a prevalence of 6%. The isolated strains belonged to all six Salmonella enterica subspecies. Most of them were identified as Salmonella enterica subs. enterica of which 31 different serotypes were identified. The dominating serotype identified was S. Enteritidis. The antimicrobial resistance profiles of the isolated strains were analyzed against sixteen molecules. Of the isolated strains, 94.6% were resistant to at least one of the tested antimicrobials. This study showed the circulation of resistant Salmonella spp. strains in the wild boar population living in this area of Italy, underling the potential risk for these animals to disseminate this pathogen and its antimicrobial resistances.
Keywords: Salmonella spp.; antimicrobic resistance; wild boars.