Italy: How Sicilian tomatoes caused a crisis in 16 European countries

Published 2024년 11월 20일

Tridge summary

Europe is in the midst of a significant outbreak of Salmonella Strathcona, with over 250 cases reported across 17 countries, including the UK, and Canada, primarily linked to the consumption of tomatoes from Sicily, Italy. The outbreak, which began in 2023 and continues through 2024, has predominantly affected women and has been associated with high case numbers in Italy, Germany, and Austria. Investigations have pointed to Italian wholesalers and have noted potential links to a 2011 outbreak in Denmark and a 2020 event in that country and Italy. Health agencies like the ECDC and EFSA are conducting in-depth investigations, focusing on environmental factors in the production process, to identify the source of the contamination and devise effective preventive strategies. The findings are expected to be released by the end of December 2024, aiming to mitigate the ongoing risk and reduce the likelihood of future outbreaks.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Europe is grappling with a serious outbreak of Salmonella Strathcona, which has affected more than 250 people in different countries. The infections have been linked to tomatoes from Italy, with shipments from Sicily being particularly suspicious. Between January 2023 and November 2024, 266 confirmed cases of infection were recorded in 16 European countries and the United Kingdom. The highest number of infections was reported in Italy (67), Germany (62) and Austria (33). However, the problem is not limited to Europe, with five infections also detected in Canada. The results indicate that most cases are in women, which may be related to the higher consumption of salads with raw tomatoes in this group. In September and October 2024, Salmonella Strathcona infections occurred in Tuscany and Umbria. In Tuscany, 248 cases of gastroenteritis were reported in kindergartens and schools, 93 of which were confirmed as salmonella infections, and 14 were of the Strathcona strain. The infected ...

Source: Foodfakty