| Summary: | Growing attention is being given to the European hedgehog (<i>Erinaceus europaeus</i>) because of its synanthropic behaviour and its potential role in harbouring parasites, viruses, fungi and bacteria and disseminating them to several animals and humans. <i>Salmonella</i> are the most frequently detected zoonotic bacteria that hedgehogs could transmit through contaminating water and food sources with faeces. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of <i>Salmonella</i> spp. in wild hedgehogs in the Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy). From 2019 to 2022, 212 European hedgehogs that died naturally were tested for <i>Salmonella</i> spp. through culture isolation. Positive samples were subjected to serological typing. A total of 82 samples tested positive for <i>Salmonella</i> spp., with the overall Bayesian posterior estimated prevalence ranging from 35% (95% CI: 23–47%) to a maximum of 45% (95% CI: 31–59%) during the years considered and with an overall prevalence calculated at 39% (95% CI: 33–45%). <i>Salmonella enterica</i> Enteritidis and Veneziana were the most prevalent detected serovars in 65% and 17% of the positive samples, respectively. Since 2021, <i>S.</i> Typhimurium, <i>S.</i> Typhimurium Monofasica, <i>S.</i> Zaiman, <i>S.</i> Hessarek, <i>S.</i> Muenster, <i>S.</i> Isangi serovars, <i>S. enterica</i> subsp. Diarizonae and <i>S. enterica</i> subsp. Houtenae have been detected. These findings show a high prevalence of <i>Salmonella</i> spp. in tested hedgehogs, suggesting an important role of this animal species in the epidemiology of potentially zoonotic serovars circulating in the Emilia-Romagna region.
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