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More than 160 people in 10 European countries were reported sick in a recurring Salmonella Strathcona outbreak, with most case onsets or sample dates falling between July and September 2026. More than 800 infections have been recorded across Europe and several other countries from January 2023 through September 2026; the source of the ongoing contamination has not been definitively identified.
Health authorities have reported more than 160 illnesses in a recurring Salmonella outbreak across 10 European countries, with most reported case onsets or sample dates between July and September 2026. The outbreak matters beyond the latest cases: more than 800 infections have been recorded across Europe and several other countries since January 2023, while the source of repeated contamination remains unresolved, much like in a seafood-linked Salmonella outbreak.
The countries reporting cases in the latest update are Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Sequencing is still pending for about 100 additional cases, so the final count and which illnesses are linked to the outbreak could change, as in other Salmonella outbreaks. The report says some countries have recorded patients who live in, or traveled to, Italy before becoming ill; other cases were reported among people without that travel history.
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute recently reported 39 outbreak-associated cases in the country since June 2026. The report also describes a related 2025–2026 Salmonella Strathcona outbreak involving 116 people. Interviews with a small number of patients in Germany and Luxembourg found that they had eaten cherry tomatoes; Italy has also reported tomato consumption among some cases. These interviews suggest a possible food exposure but do not, on their own, establish that tomatoes caused every infection in the current outbreak.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says the recurring cases point to continuing transmission and distribution of contaminated produce in Italy and beyond. Its figures cover more than 800 confirmed infections from January 2023 through September 2026, including 73 in the United Kingdom, 10 in Canada and 24 in the United States. At least seven Canadians and six Americans had traveled to Europe before illness, according to the report.
Recurring Cases Keep Produce Risks in Focus
The repeated summer rise means the issue is not limited to a single cluster of illnesses. For consumers, institutions and food businesses, the unresolved source matters because produce can move across borders, and infections may appear in countries far from where contamination occurred. The report identifies tomatoes as a recurring lead in investigations, but it does not establish that all cases in the 2026 reports share one exposure or source.
Authorities in Italy’s Puglia region have temporarily suspended the use and serving of raw fresh tomatoes in institutional catering, including nurseries, schools, social-care and health facilities, residential care homes and hospitals. The order followed an increase in Salmonella Strathcona infections and the detection of Salmonella in a batch of tomatoes from Caltanissetta. Such restrictions can reduce exposure in settings serving many people, while investigators work to identify where contamination entered the supply chain.
The ECDC warns that the seasonal pattern could recur if contaminated produce continues to be delivered. That warning is the agency’s risk assessment, not a prediction that a specific number of future infections will occur.
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Evidence Points Back to Italian Tomatoes
The current reports follow investigations in earlier seasons. In 2025, Austrian authorities identified small tomatoes traded from Sicily as the source of infections. The report says those findings reflected Austrian investigations in 2023 and Italian work in 2024. In November 2024, official sampling at an Italian primary producer detected the outbreak strain in irrigation water collected from a well. Follow-up Austrian investigations in 2025 found the strain in cherry tomatoes from Italy.
Those findings provide relevant evidence for investigators, but they do not identify the precise source of the infections now being reported. Earlier this month, Italian authorities reported finding monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Strathcona in cherry tomatoes. They also reported 117 salmonellosis cases in Brescia and 15 in Bergamo. The available report does not clarify whether those regional case counts all belong to the same outbreak as the cases reported across Europe.
““The risk for new infections remains as long as the seasonal delivery of contaminated produce continues.””
— European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
Source and Case Links Still Unsettled
Investigators have not identified the root cause of contamination, and sequencing is pending for about 100 additional cases. It is not yet clear how many of those illnesses will be confirmed as part of the outbreak, whether all countries’ cases share the same exposure, or how contamination may have reached produce. Patient reports of tomato consumption and prior findings involving tomatoes and irrigation water are important investigative leads, not proof that a particular batch or producer caused the current cases.
The report also does not provide a complete breakdown of illness severity, hospitalizations or deaths in the 2026 cases. It does not state how long Puglia’s catering restriction will remain in force or whether other regions or countries have introduced similar measures.
Sequencing and Produce Investigations Continue
Public-health authorities are expected to continue sequencing samples, interviewing patients and comparing case histories across countries. Those steps can help determine which illnesses are connected and whether patients share a food or travel exposure. Investigations into tomatoes, irrigation water and the wider supply chain will be needed to establish where contamination occurred and what controls could prevent repeat outbreaks.
Readers should follow advice from local public-health and food-safety authorities, particularly any instructions about recalled or restricted products. The source report does not describe a Europe-wide recall or advise the public to avoid all tomatoes. It says the Puglia measure applies to raw fresh tomatoes in institutional catering settings; its scope should not be confused with a general ban on tomatoes for consumers.
Key Questions
How many people have been reported sick in the latest outbreak update?
More than 160 people were reported sick across 10 European countries. Sequencing is pending for about 100 additional cases, so the count and case links may change.
Is Salmonella linked to tomatoes?
Tomatoes are a key investigative lead. Some patients interviewed in Germany, Luxembourg and Italy reported eating them, and earlier investigations found the outbreak strain in Italian cherry tomatoes and irrigation water. The available evidence does not establish that tomatoes caused every current case.
Which countries have reported cases?
The latest update lists Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The report also records infections in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States over the wider period from January 2023 through September 2026.
Are authorities advising everyone to stop eating tomatoes?
The source report does not describe a general consumer ban or Europe-wide recall. Puglia temporarily suspended raw fresh tomatoes in institutional catering settings, including schools, nurseries and healthcare facilities. Follow local food-safety notices for any specific product or area advice.
What remains unknown about the outbreak?
The root cause and route of contamination have not been established. Investigators are also waiting for sequencing results on about 100 additional cases and have not confirmed that every reported illness shares the same source.
Source: rss
