A Salmonella outbreak in Denmark has been linked to school meals.
Since April, the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) has recorded 11 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis.
SSI, the Danish Veterinary, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Agency, and the National Food Institute are investigating the outbreak. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration merged with the Danish Agricultural and Fisheries Agency beginning this January.
Patients are mostly children aged 4 to 12, but there are also three adults aged 21 to 63. The median age for all patients is 10 years old. Seven males and four females are sick.
SSI has interviewed patients or their parents and found that sick people received meals at several schools in the Hovedstaden region of Denmark. Further investigations are ongoing to find the source of infection.
Whole genome sequencing of the bacteria isolated from patients shows they are very closely genetically related, and all belong to sequence type 11. This means it is likely that there is a common source of infection.
A previous Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak with the same sequence type sickened 14 people in 2025 and 2026 but a source was not found.
Outbreak patients ranged from 2 to 84 years old with a median age of 69. Four were women and 10 were men. Five illnesses were reported in 2025 and nine in January 2026.
Seven sick people lived in Hovedstaden, four in Midtjylland, and three in Syddanmark.
In 2024, 10 Salmonella outbreaks were reported in Denmark. There were 1,266 Salmonella infections, up from 1,207 in 2023. Salmonella Enteritidis was the top serotype with 274 patients, of which 66 percent were infected abroad.
About Salmonella infections
Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile.
Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization.
Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Some people are infected with Salmonella without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others.