Fallow Deer ( Dama dama ) as a Reservoir of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC)

Shiga toxin-producing ( ) (STEC) are responsible for the outbreaks of serious diseases in humans. Only a few reports on fallow deer as a reservoir of foodborne pathogens have been published to date. The purpose of this study was to determine the occurrence of STEC strains in the fallow deer population in Poland. In all, 94 fallow deer swabs were tested. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect the virulence profile of , and or genes, to identify the subtypes of and genes and to perform O and H serotyping. STEC and attaching and effacing (AE)-STEC were identified in 13 isolates (13.83%). The most hazardous virulence profile was detected in three strains, namely serotype O103:HNM, serotype O26:HNM and serotype O157:H7. The predominant gene was , which was identified in 76.92% of isolates. O157 was detected in 4/94 (4.26%). Other serogroups, O26, O103, O111 and O145, were identified in 14/94 fallow deer (14.89%). The present findings suggest that fallow deer are carriers of STEC/AE-STEC that are potentially pathogenic to humans.