Escherichia coli

The primary health risk to humans from deer droppings is Escherichia coli (E. coli), a group of bacteria found in the environment as well as in foods and in the intestines of some animals. Some strains of E. coli can cause illness, ranging from mild cases of diarrhea to more severe urinary tract infections and respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia (CDC, 2022). Deer droppings have been the confirmed cause of at least one major E. coli outbreak, when contaminated strawberries were sold at roadside stands and farm markets in Oregon (Cooper, 2015). Warm, wet weather conditions appear to facilitate the release of E. coli from deer droppings into the environment (Guber et al., 2015). Because of this risk, deer dropping should never be used to as fertilizer for any plants intended for human consumption (Volz, 2017), and hands should be washed thoroughly after coming in contact with animals or their environment (CDC, 2022).

References:

CDC, 2022. E. coli (Escherichia coli). Accessed at https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/index.html

Cooper, J.J., 2015. Deer droppings proven cause of E. coli outbreak. Accessed at https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/deer-droppings-proven-cause-e-coli-outbreak-flna1c9456440

Guber, A.K., J. fry, R.L. Ives, and J.B. Rose. 2015. Escherichia coli Survival in, and Release from, White-Tailed Deer Feces. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 81(3): 1168-1176. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4292497/

Volz, S., 2017. Are Deer Droppings on the Lawn a Good Fertilizer? Accessed at https://www.gardenguides.com/13405048-are-deer-droppings-on-the-lawn-a-good-fertilizer.html