RESEARCH IS underway to determine what role deer play in the transmission of Enteric disease.

The number of deer in the UK is growing, with more farmers keeping them for venison, and wild deer populations increasing.

However, there is little available information about disease amongst deer, and in recent years outbreaks of E. coli in people, causing gastroenteritis, have been linked to venison products.

Sam Pearce from the University of Edinburgh has started an investigation looking at the wider deer population including farmed, wild, park and zoo deer, and has begun gathering samples to see if there are differences between the different groups.

“In the UK there isn’t a huge amount of information on diseases in deer, whereas a lot of work has been done in New Zealand where they farm more deer,” said Mr Pearce, who added that the current outbreak of Covid-19 shouldn’t be cause for concern in relation to animal to human transmission here in the UK. “Foodborne diseases are kept on top of with hygiene later in the food chain. It is a very rare occurrence that anything comes of it.”

Dr Aiden Foster at the veterinary campus of Bristol University explained what they expect to find from the Enteric transmission research: “Our hope is that despite screening many hundreds of samples that we are unlikely to find bacteria that we can associate with human foodborne illness. However, because the work hasn’t been done, we need to do it and see what types of bacteria are present then look at risk factors which might need to be mitigated to reduce the risk of humans getting infected,” he continued.

“People get worried about foodborne disease and so we are keen to mitigate that risk if we can.”

Dr Foster went on to explain the measures which can be taken to mitigate risks for those farmers who look after farmed deer. Pointing out two points in which farmed deer come in to contact with human; on farm and in the abattoir.

“The farmers who work with them need to be mindful of the need for hygiene, particularly in cases with young deer who can be a source of these Enteric pathogens," he said. “Staff working in abattoirs are already aware of the risk of disease and the need for following hygiene precautions, but this research would give some idea of potential risk abattoir workers may have and therefore need for using appropriate personal protection equipment."

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