Serological survey for antibodies against selected infectious agents amongfallow deer (Dama dama) in central Italy

Sera were collected from 224 fallow deer (Dama dama) in reserves in central Italy. Samples were tested for antibodies against Chlamydia spp., Brucella spp. and Coxiella spp. with the complement Fixation (CF) test. Indirect im munofluorescence was used to test for antibodies against Borrelia spp. and agglutination tests were conducted for Leptospira interrogans antibodies. E nzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) rests were used to detect antibodi es against bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) and bovine viral diarrhoea virus (B VDV). All samples were negative for antibodies against Brucella spp., L. in terrogans, Coxiella spp. and BHV-1. Four samples (1.8 %) had antibodies aga inst Chlamydia spp., nine (4 %) against Borrelia spp. and 10 (4.5 %) agains t BVDV These results indicate that fallow deer in central Italy have a low rate of exposure to pathogens typical of domestic livestock.