Health officials across Europe and in the United States are investigating a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 60 people.
Between January and May, 62 cases of Salmonella Stanley have been reported from Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Children and young adults are the most affected age group, and hospitalizations have occurred in most countries. No source has yet been identified but most cases were domestically acquired.
Still eight sick in Denmark
The Statens Serum Institut (SSI) in Denmark first communicated about the outbreak in April. There are still eight cases of Salmonella Stanley in the country.
SSI, the Danish Veterinary, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Agency, and the National Food Institute are involved in the investigation. Patients are seven males and one female. They are between 5 and 22 years old with a median age of 11.5.
Whole genome sequencing of the bacteria isolated from patients showed they were closely genetically related, and all belong to sequence type 2045. This means it is likely that there is a common source of infection.
England and Austria affected
In England, 21 patients are linked to the outbreak. They fell sick between the end of January and mid-April 2026. Eight patients are children and six people have been hospitalized.
Gauri Godbole, deputy director of gastrointestinal infections at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “We are supporting a multi-country Salmonella outbreak, with more cases reported among young people. The source of the outbreak is still being investigated.
“There are simple steps to prevent the spread of Salmonella: wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and before preparing and handling food, cook food thoroughly, and if you have any symptoms, avoid handling food for others where possible.”
Austria is also affected with six sick people. The Ministry of Health asked the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) to investigate the foodborne outbreak.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is monitoring the incident with affected countries and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
“The identification of a tight genetic cluster involving multiple countries, combined with the temporal distribution of cases, suggests a likely common source of the outbreak. The predominance of younger age groups may indicate a specific exposure pattern or food preference. However, no suspected source of infection has yet been identified,” said ECDC.