The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has warned of an epidemic of salmonella linked to tomatoes which is already affecting 13 countries including France.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC, initials in English) has issued an alert against an epidemic of “Salmonella Senftenberg” linked to tomatoes which is already affecting 13 countries.
These contaminated tomatoes were traced to wholesalers in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain, and to tomato growers in the Netherlands, Spain and Morocco.
Tomatoes on the dock!
From August 2022 to July 12, 2023, 92 cases of Salmonella Senftenberg have occurred in the following countries:
– Austria (5 cases)
– Belgium (4 cases)
– Czech Republic (4 cases)
– Estonia (1 case)
– Finland (12)
– France (16)
– Germany (26)
– Ireland (1)
– Netherlands (5 )
– Norway (1)
– Sweden (11)
– United Kingdom (4)
– United States (2).
One patient died as a result of the infection.
Thus, investigations of cases in Austria, Germany, France and Sweden have suggested that cherry tomatoes could be a possible vehicle for infection . This was revealed by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The first case took place in France with an isolation date of August 22, 2022. And the most recent case was thus reported on June 24, 2023 in Sweden.
Most cases occurred between October 2022 and March 2023. Currently, however, reassures the ECDC, the risk of new infections is low.
Significant Salmonella outbreak
In a statement that the ECDC published on its website last Thursday, it therefore confirmed that it was France which recorded the first case in August 2022. And a total of 92 people actually infected have since been confirmed.
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The majority of cases were therefore reported between October 2022 and March 2023, with a decrease already after December 2022.
The epidemic was born in a plate of salad with cherry tomatoes on August 17, 2022 in France (in one case).
It is then suspected that tomatoes carrying infections in France and Austria came from wholesalers in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. But also from tomato growers in the Netherlands, Spain and Morocco.
In the absence of microbiological evidence on tomatoes, the role of food companies and producers monitored as sources of infections and/or points of contamination could not be established.
The origins of salmonella
Various animals can be reservoirs of Salmonella. And humans usually become infected by eating undercooked or raw contaminated foods…such as these cherry tomatoes.
The incubation period and symptoms depend on the amount of bacteria the person ingests, their immune status and the type of Salmonella.
Symptoms usually appear in these cases 12 to 36 hours after consuming contaminated food. These include fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. And they last a few days.
Thus, depending on the case, antibiotic treatment is generally not necessary. But hospitalization may be necessary due, often, to the effect of dehydration.
In rare cases, an infection can then be fatal, especially in elderly and immunocompromised cases.
ECDC therefore encourages public health authorities to continue to work with food safety authorities in countries where cases have been notified.
