More illnesses have been recorded in an outbreak of Salmonella affecting multiple European countries.
Austria, Denmark, France Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden reported more than 160 sick people, with the majority having onset or sample dates between July and September 2026. Sequencing is pending for 100 additional cases.
Several countries had sickness in people who live in, or had a travel history, to Italy prior to symptom onset, suggesting a common exposure. Domestic cases have also been noted by other countries.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said recently that Germany had 39 cases associated with the outbreak since June 2026. A Salmonella Strathcona outbreak during the 2025-2026 season involved 116 people. Germany and Luxembourg said a few patient interviews revealed people had eaten cherry tomatoes. Italy also reported tomato consumption among cases.
Recurring summer peak
More than 800 confirmed infections have occurred between January 2023 and September 2026. This includes 73 cases in the United Kingdom, 10 in Canada and 24 in the United States. At least seven Canadians and six Americans had been to Europe before getting ill.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the recurrence of cases suggests ongoing transmission and distribution of contaminated produce both in and beyond Italy. Patient counts consistently peak during July to September.
“The risk for new infections remains as long as the seasonal delivery of contaminated produce continues. New outbreaks are likely to occur in future seasons until the root cause of the contamination has been identified and control measures implemented,” according to the agency.
Authorities in an Italian region have stopped the sale of tomatoes in canteens after Salmonella infections were reported. A temporary suspension was ordered by authorities in Puglia on the use and serving of raw fresh tomatoes in all food preparation centers and distribution points for institutional catering. This includes nurseries, schools, social care and healthcare facilities, residential care homes and hospitals.
Action was taken following a rise in Salmonella Strathcona infections and detection of Salmonella in a batch of tomatoes from Caltanissetta.
Earlier this month, Italian authorities found monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Strathcona in cherry tomatoes. They also reported 117 salmonellosis cases in Brescia and 15 in Bergamo.
In 2025, outbreak investigations in Austria identified small tomatoes traded from Sicily as the source of infections, reflecting Austrian findings in 2023 and Italian work in 2024. Official sampling at a primary producer in Italy in November 2024 found the outbreak strain in a sample of irrigation water taken from a well. Follow-up investigations in 2025 in Austria confirmed the outbreak strain in cherry tomatoes from Italy.
