Salmonella most common cause of foodborne outbreaks in EU

Almost a third of foodborne outbreaks were caused by salmonella in the European Union in 2018, new data has revealed.

And of that total, 67% of salmonella cases were reported by Slovakia, Spain and Poland, and were mainly linked to eggs.

A foodborne outbreak is defined as an incident in which at least 2 people contract the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink.

Also read: Call for stricter EU salmonella targets

In 2018, EU member states reported 5,146 foodborne outbreaks affecting 48,365 people

EFSA’s chief scientist Marta Hugas said: “Findings from our latest Eurobarometer show that less than one third of European citizens rank food poisoning from bacteria among their top 5 concerns when it comes to food safety.

“The number of reported outbreaks suggests that there’s room for raising awareness among consumers as many foodborne illnesses are preventable by improving hygiene measures when handling and preparing food”

Also read: Effect of antibiotic withdrawal on the gut

Salmonellosis was the second most commonly reported gastrointestinal infection in humans in the EU (91,857 cases reported), after campylobacteriosis (246,571).