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More than 160 people have been reported sick in a multi-country Salmonella outbreak, with most cases in the latest reports linked to illness onsets or samples from July through September 2026. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says more than 800 confirmed infections have been recorded across Europe and other countries from January 2023 to September 2026; the source of the current cases has not been established.
Health authorities in 10 European countries have reported more than 160 people sick in a recurring Salmonella outbreak, with most of the latest illnesses recorded between July and September 2026. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) says the repeated seasonal pattern suggests ongoing transmission, but the source of the current cases has not been confirmed.
Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have reported cases, according to Food Safety News. Authorities are also assessing 100 additional cases for which sequencing is pending, so they have not yet been confirmed as part of the outbreak. Some affected people lived in or had travelled to Italy before becoming ill; other countries have reported domestic cases.
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute reported 39 cases since June 2026 associated with the outbreak. The reports connect the investigation to Salmonella Strathcona, a strain involved in a separate count of 116 people during the 2025–2026 season. Interviews with a few patients in Germany and Luxembourg found they had eaten cherry tomatoes, and Italy has also reported tomato consumption among cases. These accounts are investigative leads, not proof that tomatoes caused every current illness.
The broader outbreak record is substantial: more than 800 confirmed infections were recorded between January 2023 and September 2026, including 73 in the United Kingdom, 10 in Canada and 24 in the United States. At least seven Canadian and six U.S. patients had travelled to Europe before falling ill, according to the report. The totals cover multiple years and locations; they should not be read as the number of current-season cases.
Why the Seasonal Pattern Matters
The repeated rise in cases during July to September matters because it points to a risk that may return each summer, rather than a single isolated cluster. ECDC says the recurrence suggests ongoing transmission and distribution of contaminated produce in Italy and beyond, while stressing that the root cause has not yet been identified.
For consumers, food businesses and public health agencies, the unresolved source makes it harder to target preventive action. If produce is involved, distribution across borders can expose people in several countries. The reported travel histories and illnesses among people who did not travel also show why investigations need to trace food supply chains as well as individual travel.
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Earlier Tomato Investigations
Investigations in previous seasons have provided evidence linking small tomatoes from Sicily to cases. Austrian investigations in 2023 and 2025 identified small tomatoes traded from Sicily as the source in those outbreaks, while Italian work in 2024 also examined the connection. In November 2024, official sampling at a primary producer in Italy detected the outbreak strain in irrigation water from a well. Follow-up Austrian investigations in 2025 found the strain in cherry tomatoes from Italy.
Those earlier findings help explain why tomatoes are again a focus, but they do not establish the source of the 2026 illnesses. Separately, authorities in Italy’s Puglia region temporarily suspended the use and serving of raw fresh tomatoes in institutional catering after a rise in infections and detection of Salmonella in a tomato batch from Caltanissetta. The restriction covers facilities including schools, nurseries, hospitals and care homes. Italian authorities have also reported finding monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Strathcona in cherry tomatoes, and reported 117 salmonellosis cases in Brescia and 15 in Bergamo.
““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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Source and Case Linkage Unresolved
It is not yet clear what food or contamination point caused the latest infections, or whether every reported patient is part of the same outbreak. Sequencing is pending for 100 additional cases, and the patient interviews describing tomato consumption involve only a few people. Earlier detections in irrigation water and tomatoes provide relevant evidence from past investigations, but do not confirm the source of the current cases.
The available report does not give a full country-by-country breakdown of the more than 160 recent illnesses, nor does it state how many patients have been hospitalized or died. It also does not explain whether the Puglia restriction is linked to every case across Europe. Those details remain unconfirmed in the material available.
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Sequencing and Supply-Chain Checks
Health authorities are expected to continue interviewing patients, comparing samples and tracing possible exposures. The pending sequencing results may clarify whether the additional cases belong to the same outbreak. Investigators will also need to determine whether current illnesses are connected to tomatoes, a particular producer or another source.
The Puglia measure is a temporary restriction on raw fresh tomatoes in institutional food service; the report does not provide an end date or say when authorities will review it. Further updates from national agencies and ECDC should clarify the case count, the suspected source and any additional control measures. Until then, the recurring pattern is documented, but the cause of the 2026 cases remains under investigation.
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Key Questions
How many people have been reported sick in the latest outbreak?
More than 160 people have been reported sick across 10 European countries in the latest reports. Sequencing is pending for 100 additional cases, which have not yet been confirmed as part of the outbreak.
No. Some patients reported eating cherry tomatoes, and tomatoes have been linked to investigations in previous seasons. Those findings make tomatoes a line of inquiry, but they do not establish the source of the current cases.
Which countries have reported recent cases?
The countries listed are Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The report does not provide a full country-by-country count.
What restriction has Italy introduced?
Authorities in Puglia temporarily suspended the use and serving of raw fresh tomatoes in institutional catering facilities, including schools, nurseries, hospitals and care homes, after infections rose and Salmonella was detected in a tomato batch from Caltanissetta.
Why are officials concerned about future summers?
ECDC says cases have repeatedly peaked from July to September and that the pattern suggests ongoing transmission. The agency says future seasonal outbreaks remain possible until investigators identify the contamination source and control it.
Source: rss
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