Germany has been hit hardest in a multi-country Salmonella outbreak linked to a rocket from Italy.
As of late September, there are 98 cases in Germany. The Robert Koch Institut (RKI) believes this number may go up. There are 16 patients in Austria and 23 in Denmark.
The first cases were reported in Germany at the end of July. Since the beginning of August, there has been a significant increase in patients, with 16 to 18 cases per week. All federal states except Bremen and Saarland are affected.
Of the 98 cases, 55 are female and 43 are male. The average age of sick people is 37, but half of them are between 27 and 53 years old. Nineteen people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.
The occurrence of illnesses in Germany suggests that infections were caused by a food product distributed nationwide.
RKI has questioned 28 sick people about their food consumption before the onset of illness. The surveys provided evidence of a rocket, also known as arugula, as a possible outbreak vehicle. Since rocket is often offered in restaurants in mixed salads or as a side dish, officials said it is sometimes difficult for people to remember whether it was consumed.
Salmonella Umbilo is normally a rare serovar. From 2015 to 2023, one to six cases per year were reported to the RKI.
Situation in Austria and Denmark
Salmonella Umbilo was detected in a rocket from Italy in Austria. Samples were taken as part of the outbreak investigation.
Human Salmonella Umbilo isolates from Germany, Austria, and Denmark are closely related, indicating a common contamination source.
Since July, 16 people in Austria have fallen ill with Salmonella Umbilo, three of whom had to be treated in hospital. People are affected in Carinthia, Upper Austria, Styria, Tyrol, and Vienna.
The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), the Ministry of Health, and the relevant state authorities are investigating the outbreak. There is epidemiological and microbiological evidence that rocket produced in Italy is the vehicle of infection. Salmonella Umbilo was found in the rocket, but affected batches are no longer available in stores.
The Statens Serum Institut (SSI) in Denmark has recorded 23 cases of Salmonella Umbilo since July.
There are 16 men and seven women sick. Patients range from under 1 to 85 years old, and the median age is 52.
The National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen), and SSI are investigating the incident.
Salmonella Umbilo is a rare serotype not seen in Denmark since 2017, until the current incident.
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