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More than 160 people in 10 European countries were reported sick in a Salmonella outbreak, with most recent cases dated from July to September 2026. ECDC says more than 800 confirmed infections have been recorded across Europe and several other countries since January 2023; tomatoes are a possible common exposure, but the contamination source has not been established.
Health authorities in 10 European countries have reported more than 160 people sick in a continuing Salmonella outbreak, with most of the latest cases linked by onset or sample dates to July through September 2026. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says the recurring summer pattern points to ongoing transmission, while investigators examine a possible link to tomatoes without having confirmed the root source.
The countries reporting cases are Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Sequencing is still pending for 100 additional cases, so the reported count and the extent of the outbreak could change as investigations continue. The source report does not provide a precise final case count for each country.
Some affected people lived in or had travelled to Italy before becoming ill, which authorities say may point to a shared exposure. Other countries have also identified domestic cases. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute recently reported 39 outbreak-associated cases in the country since June 2026. Patient interviews in Germany and Luxembourg found that some people had eaten cherry tomatoes; Italy also reported tomato consumption among cases. These interviews indicate a possible exposure, not proof that tomatoes caused every illness.
The current reports sit within a longer pattern: more than 800 confirmed infections were recorded between January 2023 and September 2026, including cases in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. The total includes 73 cases in the UK, 10 in Canada and 24 in the US. At least seven Canadians and six Americans had travelled to Europe before becoming ill, according to the report.
A Seasonal Pattern Across Borders
The recurring summer increase matters because contaminated food can reach people in several countries through distribution networks, while travel can complicate efforts to trace where exposure occurred. ECDC has described the continuing infections as evidence of ongoing transmission and possible distribution of contaminated produce in and beyond Italy. That is the agency’s assessment; the specific source and route of contamination remain under investigation.
For consumers, the reports are a reason to follow food-safety advice from local public-health authorities and to seek medical advice if they become seriously ill. They do not establish that all tomatoes, or tomatoes from any particular retailer, are unsafe. The reported actions in Italy apply to specified institutional catering settings in Puglia, rather than constituting a Europe-wide tomato recall.
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Earlier Investigations Point to Tomatoes
The reported cases follow previous seasonal outbreaks involving Salmonella Strathcona. A 2025–2026 outbreak involved 116 people, according to the source report. Investigations in Austria in 2025 identified small tomatoes traded from Sicily as the source of infections, echoing findings from Austria in 2023 and Italian work in 2024.
In November 2024, official sampling at a primary producer in Italy detected the outbreak strain in irrigation water from a well. Follow-up work in Austria in 2025 found the strain in cherry tomatoes from Italy. These past findings provide context for the current tomato investigations, but do not by themselves establish the source of the 2026 cases.
Italian authorities have also reported finding monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Strathcona in cherry tomatoes earlier in October. The report cites 117 salmonellosis cases in Brescia and 15 in Bergamo. In Puglia, authorities temporarily suspended the use and serving of raw fresh tomatoes at food preparation centres and distribution points for institutional catering after a rise in infections and detection of Salmonella in a tomato batch from Caltanissetta.
““The risk for new infections remains as long as the seasonal delivery of contaminated produce continues.””
— European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
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The 2026 Source Is Unconfirmed
Investigators have not established whether tomatoes caused the current outbreak, where any contamination occurred, or how it may have entered the food chain. The interviews reporting tomato consumption are limited findings, and the source report does not say how many patients were interviewed or how many reported eating tomatoes.
Sequencing remains pending for 100 additional cases, and the full number of people affected may change. It is also not clear from the available information which specific products, producers or distribution routes are under investigation, or whether any Europe-wide product alert will be issued. The historical findings in Italian irrigation water and tomatoes are relevant to earlier investigations, but do not confirm the source of this season’s cases.
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Sequencing and Trace-Back Continue
Public-health authorities are expected to continue sequencing cases and comparing their results across countries, while food-safety investigators trace possible exposures and sample relevant produce and production environments. The pending case results may help clarify whether additional illnesses belong to the same outbreak.
In Italy, the temporary restriction in Puglia covers raw fresh tomatoes in institutional catering settings, including nurseries, schools, care facilities and hospitals, according to the report. The available information does not state when the suspension will end or whether further restrictions will be introduced. ECDC says the longer-term risk depends on identifying the contamination source and putting control measures in place.
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Key Questions
How many people have been reported sick in the latest outbreak?
More than 160 people were reported sick across 10 European countries. Sequencing is pending for 100 additional cases, so counts may change.
Are tomatoes confirmed as the source?
No. Some patients said they ate cherry tomatoes, and earlier investigations linked similar outbreaks to tomatoes from Sicily. Authorities have not confirmed tomatoes as the source of the current cases.
Which countries reported recent cases?
The report names Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
What action has Italy taken?
Authorities in Puglia temporarily suspended the use and serving of raw fresh tomatoes in specified institutional catering settings after infections rose and Salmonella was detected in a batch of tomatoes. The report does not describe this as a Europe-wide recall.
Why are more cases possible?
ECDC says the risk continues while seasonal deliveries of contaminated produce persist. The agency says future outbreaks are likely until investigators identify the root cause and implement control measures.
Source: rss
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