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<p>The western-European hedgehog (<i>Erinaceus europaeus)</i> is a near-threatened mammal frequently admitted to wildlife rescue centres. In early 2025, an outbreak of haemorrhagic enteritis affected 28 hoglets and juvenile hedgehogs at the Ria Formosa Wildlife Recovery and Research Centre (RIAS) in Portugal, resulting in a mortality rate exceeding 35%. Clinical signs included appetite and weight loss, and diarrhoea (including bloody diarrhoea). Diagnostic testing (parasitology, virology, bacteriology and histopathology) was conducted and <i>Salmonella enterica</i> subsp. <i>enterica</i>, was isolated from internal organs (liver, spleen, intestine, and lung) of four necropsied individuals. Following antimicrobial susceptibility testing, treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole associated with critical care led to clinical improvement in surviving animals. This case underscores the challenges in diagnosing and managing infectious disease outbreaks in wildlife rescue centres and highlights the zoonotic risk of diseases that can affect hedgehogs, as salmonellosis. The findings emphasise the need for enhanced surveillance, rapid diagnostics, and effective biosecurity protocols in conservation centres to ensure animal welfare, good recovery rates and mitigate public health risks.</p>

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Outbreak of an infectious enteritis in western European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in a rescue centre

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月26日

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  • María Cásero,
  • Julia Serena,
  • Sara Gomes-Gonçalves,
  • João R. Mesquita,
  • Fernanda Seixas,
  • Ana Cláudia Coelho,
  • Catarina Jota Baptista

摘要

The western-European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is a near-threatened mammal frequently admitted to wildlife rescue centres. In early 2025, an outbreak of haemorrhagic enteritis affected 28 hoglets and juvenile hedgehogs at the Ria Formosa Wildlife Recovery and Research Centre (RIAS) in Portugal, resulting in a mortality rate exceeding 35%. Clinical signs included appetite and weight loss, and diarrhoea (including bloody diarrhoea). Diagnostic testing (parasitology, virology, bacteriology and histopathology) was conducted and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, was isolated from internal organs (liver, spleen, intestine, and lung) of four necropsied individuals. Following antimicrobial susceptibility testing, treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole associated with critical care led to clinical improvement in surviving animals. This case underscores the challenges in diagnosing and managing infectious disease outbreaks in wildlife rescue centres and highlights the zoonotic risk of diseases that can affect hedgehogs, as salmonellosis. The findings emphasise the need for enhanced surveillance, rapid diagnostics, and effective biosecurity protocols in conservation centres to ensure animal welfare, good recovery rates and mitigate public health risks.