Sweden has revealed human infection data for 2023, including a large Salmonella outbreak that had major economic consequences and caused a shortage of eggs. The data comes from a report published by the State Veterinary Institute (SVA) with help from the Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten) and the Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket). A total of 1,316 Salmonella infections were reported, compared to 1,137 in 2022.
More than half were infected abroad. Thailand was the top country of infection, followed by Turkey, Greece, and Spain. Domestic cases fell slightly.
Incidence was highest in children younger than five years old. For domestic cases, the most common types of Salmonella were Enteritidis, Typhimurium, and monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium. Another 68 different serovars were identified.
Three outbreaks with ten or more cases were found. The most prominent incident sickened 82 people and was traced to eggs produced at CA Cedergren, Sweden’s largest laying hen facility. A closely related strain of Salmonella Enteritidis caused a large outbreak in Belgium in 2022, with hundreds sick, which was also linked to a laying hen site in that country.
In late December 2022 in Sweden, Salmonella Enteritidis was detected in two flocks, and eggs from these birds were recalled. Positive flocks were euthanized, infected sites were cleaned, and biosecurity between remaining flocks was improved. Between February and October, Salmonella was detected in 14 more flocks.
