0
According to the annual zoonoses report published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis were the most frequently reported zoonotic diseases in humans in the EU in 2022, although the number of cases was lower than during the pre-pandemic years 2018-2019.
The number of reported cases of campylobacteriosis, which is the most common zoonotic disease, remained stable in 2022 compared to the previous year, with 137,107 cases. Chicken meat was the most common source of infections.
Salmonellosis was the second most reported zoonotic disease, with 65,208 cases in 2022, compared to 60,169 in 2021. However, 19 Member States and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) successfully met all targets set for the reduction of Salmonella in poultry. This is the highest compliance figure since 2018 when 14 Member States met all targets, a milestone in collective efforts to combat zoonotic diseases and protect public health.
This report not only examines sporadically reported cases of disease but also investigates foodborne outbreaks: cases in which at least two people contract the same disease from consuming the same contaminated food.
The number of reported foodborne outbreaks in the EU increased by 44%, from 4,005 in 2021 to 5,763 outbreaks in 2022, reaching levels similar to those of pre-pandemic years and resulting in the highest number of outbreak-related deaths in the past decade (64). The deaths were primarily attributed to Listeria monocytogenes and were associated with a wide variety of foods, from meat and dairy products to fish and vegetables. The more frequent use of whole genome sequencing may have improved the sensitivity of surveillance, thereby increasing the ability to detect outbreaks in Member States.
December 12, 2023/ EFSA/ European Union.
https://www.efsa.europa.eu
