Enteric Pathogens in Wild Boars Across the European Union: Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance Within a One Health Framework

Abstract

Wild boars, widely distributed across natural, agricultural, and urban landscapes, represent an ideal sentinel species for monitoring the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the human–wildlife–livestock interface within the One Health framework. This review summarizes current knowledge on the prevalence, diversity, AMR, and epidemiological significance of major enteric pathogens isolated from wild boars in the European Union, with particular attention to their potential role in AMR dissemination. Numerous studies have reported variable prevalence rates for Salmonella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and Campylobacter spp. High prevalence rates has been observed in fecal samples—35% for Salmonella, 27% for Y. enterocolitica and STEC, and 66% for Campylobacter—highlighting the role of wild boars as carriers and the associated risk of carcass contamination during slaughter. Tonsils represent a key niche for Y. enterocolitica, with prevalence reaching 35%. Several studies have identified resistance to antimicrobials classified by the World Health Organization as critically important or high priority for human medicine, including fluoroquinolone-resistant non-typhoidal Salmonella spp. and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Y. enterocolitica, raising notable public health concerns. Despite increasing interest, most available studies remain descriptive and geographically limited, providing limited insight into AMR acquisition and transmission pathways in wild boars. New approaches—such as resistome analyses and epidemiological cut-off values—offer added value to distinguish wild-type from acquired-resistant strains and to better understand AMR dissemination dynamics. Integrating wildlife into One Health surveillance systems is essential to capture the full complexity of AMR spread.

Affiliated Institutions

• University of Sassari IT

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