Hunting Dynamics and Identification of Potentially Pathogenic Bacteria in European Fallow Deer ( Dama dama ) across Three Hunting Reserves in Western Romania.

The study focused on the hunting practices and potentially pathogenic bacterial species among European fallow deer ( Dama dama) . Within a five-year period, three hunting grounds from Western Romania were examined. During this period, a total of 1881 deer were hunted, and 240 samples were collected by rectal and nasal swabbing from 120 carcasses. Bacterial strains were identified utilizing bacteriological assays and the Vitek ® 2 Compact system. Notably, the Socodor hunting ground exhibited a significant difference in harvesting quotas between the bucks (Group M) and does/yearlings (Group F), favoring the latter. In the Chișineu Criș-Sălișteanca hunting ground, a likely correlation in harvesting quotas between the two groups was observed. The identified potentially pathogenic bacteria were Escherichia coli , Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus , Listeria monocytogenes and Enterococcus faecium . These results highlight the importance of effectively managing the deer population and recognize the potential for Dama dama to spread zoonotic pathogens, emphasizing the necessity of adopting a One Health approach and maintaining ongoing surveillance of this game species' population dynamics.