A Salmonella outbreak in the United Kingdom linked to eggs from Ukraine has sickened almost 80 people across two years.
The strain is associated with 40 illnesses in England in 2026 and 36 in 2025.
As part of a large Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak with 700 patients connected to imported eggs, microbiological testing of nearly 3,000 eggs was undertaken by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This sampling detected Salmonella Enteritidis in a batch of eggs from Ukraine and a separate outbreak.
Affected eggs came from Yasensvit and are stamped with the code 3UA1012066. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) asked businesses to stop using them.
Yasensvit, part of the Ovostar Union Group, is one of the largest producers of eggs and egg products in Europe and operates in international markets. The company previously urged people to avoid drawing what it called “premature conclusions” until all the facts were established.
Detection of Salmonella
In October, Salmonella Enteritidis was detected in three samples of six pooled eggs each from the Ukrainian producer. Nine isolates were sent to the reference laboratory and it was confirmed via whole genome sequencing (WGS) that they were the same strain of Salmonella Enteritidis and associated with human infections.
The date of sampling was Sept. 23, 2026. Eggs were reportedly laid and packaged on Aug. 23, with an expiry date of Sept. 19. This means samples were taken four days after the best before date.
There are 78 confirmed cases with sample dates between Dec. 17, 2024, and Sept. 26, 2026. Wales has two cases while the rest live in England. In total, 32 are from London and 24 are from the East of England. Cases range from younger than 1 to 99 years old with a median age of 30. Across all age groups, 39 are female.
There was one outbreak in June 2026 with six confirmed patients linked to a restaurant in Yorkshire and Humber where non-UK eggs were used for certain dishes.
The State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection said it would conduct an inspection at the company in Kyiv including taking product samples for lab testing to verify information received from UK authorities.
Cyclospora update
UKHSA, Public Health Scotland and Public Health Wales are also investigating travel-related Cyclospora infections.
Reported cases decreased in August and September, after a peak in June and July 2026. There were 49 illnesses in June, 47 in July, 10 in August, and seven in September.
Between April and September, 135 cases of cyclosporiasis were reported with 81 from England, 43 from Scotland and 11 from Wales. The median age of patients was 47, and more than 60 percent were female. It was previously reported that between April and mid-July, 67 people had fallen sick.
Of the 95 cases with travel information available, 88 had been to Mexico, with Riviera Maya remaining the primary region. Patients stayed in different hotels and consumed a variety of food and drinks as part of all-inclusive holiday packages.
There were 87 cyclosporiasis cases in England in 2025 and 124 in 2024. Cyclospora cayetanensis is a parasite that does not naturally occur in the UK. Travelers to Mexico and other areas where the infection is more common can reduce their risk by following good food and water hygiene measures, including drinking bottled water and eating thoroughly cooked food.