Denmark experienced the largest salmonella outbreak of the year in 2023 with 31 registered cases, according to a new report. A total of 1207 individuals were affected by salmonella infections, significantly exceeding the 899 cases from the previous year and continuing a rising trend for the third consecutive year. These data are part of the annual report on zoonoses, which are diseases that can be transmitted from animals and food to humans. The report was prepared in collaboration between the Technical University of Denmark National Food Institute (DTU), the Danish Serum Institute, and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.
The number of salmonella infections in 2023 was higher than before the coronavirus pandemic, where 1120 cases were recorded in 2019. According to the Technical University of Denmark National Food Institute, there were a total of 18 salmonella outbreaks last year, which is a significant increase from 11 outbreaks in 2022, and this increase is also seen in other European countries.
Marianne Sandberg from the Technical University of Denmark National Food Institute stated that the increasing outbreaks can be traced back to imported chicken meat. Most outbreaks in Denmark have been with the salmonella variant Enteritidis, which is often found in chickens and eggs. Salmonella can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or food.
Luise Muller, an epidemiologist at the Danish Serum Institute, noted that infections with Salmonella Enteritidis are often seen after trips abroad. Therefore, it was surprising that the number of outbreaks within Denmark’s borders increased from one to three annually in the period from 2017 to 2022, to a total of eight outbreaks in 2023. One of these outbreaks was traced back to fried chicken meat used for kebabs and was part of a larger international outbreak that affected over 200 people in 13 different countries.
There are no indications that Danish-produced eggs or chicken meat were the cause of the recorded salmonella outbreaks.