Wild boars as an important reservoir for food-borne pathogens Abstract One hundred fifty-three wild boars shot in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, were studied for the occurrence of foodborne pathogens. Tonsils and fecal samples of the animals were examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked fluorescent immunoassay, and cultural methods. The detection rate of Salmonella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, stx-positive Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes was 12%, 35%, 20%, 9%, and 17%, respectively, when tonsil samples were studied. Only Y. enterocolitica (5%) and L. monocytogenes (1%) were detected in fecal samples. None of the samples was positive for Campylobacter spp. Females (71%) and young animals (61%) carried more frequently one or more pathogens than males (53%) and older ones (44%). In total, 8 Salmonella spp., 14 Y. enterocolitica, 4 Y. pseudotuberculosis, and 26 L. monocytogenes strains were further characterized. Most of the Salmonella spp. strains were of serotype Salmonella Enteritidis (75%) followed by serotypes Salmonella Stourbridge (13%) and Salmonella Veneziana (13%). L. monocytogenes strains belonged to serotypes 1/2a (42%), 1/2b (19%), and 4b (38%). One hundred fifty-three wild boars shot in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, were studied for the occurrence of foodborne pathogens. Tonsils and fecal samples of the animals were examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked fluorescent immunoassay, and cultural methods. The detection rate of Salmonella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, stx-positive Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes was 12%, 35%, 20%, 9%, and 17%, respectively, when tonsil samples were studied. Only Y. enterocolitica (5%) and L. monocytogenes (1%) were detected in fecal samples. None of the samples was positive for Campylobacter spp.