More than 200 people have been sickened across the United Kingdom in a Salmonella outbreak and one person has died.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), there are 207 confirmed cases between Aug. 11, 2025, and Aug. 1, 2026, with the majority in July. Testing has revealed patient samples are closely related, indicating a common source of contamination.
A total of 199 patients live in England, six are from Scotland while Wales and Northern Ireland both have one case each. London has the most people sick with 47 while 38 are from Yorkshire and Humber. Cases range from less than 1 to 90 years old with a median age of 30. Across all age groups, 105 are female.
Overall, 38 percent of people with information available were admitted to hospitals with salmonellosis symptoms and two people had a bloodstream infection. There has also been one death.
The Gastrointestinal Infections, Food Safety and One Health (GIFSOH) division at the UKHSA identified an increase in cases of Salmonella Enteritidis in late May caused by a single strain using whole genome sequencing (WGS) data.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s (ECDC) EpiPulse platform was used to notify countries of the outbreak, and several EU member states have reported genetically related cases.
Link to eating out and eggs
The outbreak investigation involves public health and food safety agencies across the UK, including the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Only six people reported going to countries outside the UK before getting sick.
So far, 114 cases have been interviewed and have completed a questionnaire. This found 95 people had eaten food prepared outside the home in the week prior to symptom onset.
Patient interviews revealed five food businesses where two or more cases reported going to in the week before getting sick. These companies link 24 cases. Eleven of them reported eating dishes made with eggs.
Investigations have identified that these sites are supplied with eggs from multiple sources, including importers. Local investigations have also found possible cross-contamination risks. There is no link to UK-produced eggs or poultry.
The current incident could be connected to an outbreak from 2025 linked to imported eggs. At least 123 people fell sick between May and October 2025.
Hannah Charles, lead epidemiologist, gastrointestinal infections at UKHSA, said the outbreak may be linked to imported eggs.
“Salmonellosis is often caused by eating or handling contaminated food and can be spread rarely from person-to-person. Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include diarrhea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever,” she said.
“There are simple steps to prevent the spread of Salmonella: wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and before preparing and handling food, cook food thoroughly, and if you have any symptoms, avoid handling food for others where possible.”
About Salmonella infections
Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile.
Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization.
Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions.
Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others.
