title: Isolation and identification of Salmonella spp. from red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and badgers (Meles meles) in northern Italy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Salmonella spp. have been isolated from a wide range of wild animals. Opportunistic wild carnivores such as red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and badgers (Meles meles) may act as environmental indicators or as potential sources of salmonellosis in humans. The present study characterizes Salmonella spp. isolated from the intestinal contents of hunted or dead red foxes (n = 509) and badgers (n = 17) in northern Italy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-one strains of Salmonella belonging to 3 Salmonella enterica subspecies were isolated. Fourteen different serovars of S. enterica subsp. enterica were identified, among which were serovars often associated with human illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Wild opportunistic predators can influence the probability of infection of both domestic animals and humans through active shedding of the pathogen to the environment. The epidemiological role of wild carnivores in the spread of salmonellosis needs to be further studied.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Via Bianchi 7/9, 25124, Brescia, Italy. mario.chiari@izsler.it.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiari
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 10, 20133, Milan, Italy. nicola.ferrari@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Via Bianchi 7/9, 25124, Brescia, Italy. daniele.giardiello@izsler.it.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giardiello
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences and Public Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 10, 20133, Milan, Italy. paolo.lanfranchi@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lanfranchi
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Via Bianchi 7/9, 25124, Brescia, Italy. mariagrazia.zanoni@izsler.it.
authors.forename: Mariagrazia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanoni
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Via Bianchi 7/9, 25124, Brescia, Italy. antonio.lavazza@izsler.it.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lavazza
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Via Bianchi 7/9, 25124, Brescia, Italy. giovanni.alborali@izsler.it.
authors.forename: Loris G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Alborali
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005589:Foxes; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D045969:Mustelidae; D015995:Prevalence; D012475:Salmonella / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology