Prevalence and Serovars of Salmonella in the Feces of Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Nebraska

To determine the prevalence and serovars of Salmonella in free-ranging deer, we cultured feces from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvested by hunters during a regular firearm season in southeastern Nebraska (USA). We recovered Salmonella from 5 (1%; 95% confidence interval: 0.37–2.20%) of 500 samples and identified four different Salmonella enterica serovars [Litch-field (1), Dessau (1), Infantis (2), and Enteritidis (1)]. Although the prevalence of Salmonella in free-ranging deer appears to be low, the serovars recovered are known to be pathogenic to humans and animals.