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More than 160 people in 10 European countries have been reported ill in a recurring Salmonella Strathcona outbreak, with most recent cases recorded between July and September 2026. ECDC says more than 800 confirmed infections have been reported from January 2023 through September 2026, but the precise source of the latest cases remains under investigation.
More than 160 people in 10 European countries have been reported ill in a recurring Salmonella outbreak, with most recent cases recorded between July and September 2026, according to Food Safety News. Sequencing is pending for another 100 cases, and the precise source of the latest illnesses has not been confirmed.
The countries reporting illnesses are Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Some countries have identified patients who live in, or traveled to, Italy before becoming ill. Domestic cases have also been reported, but the available information does not establish where each person was exposed.
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute recently reported 39 cases associated with the outbreak since June 2026. The current reports follow a Salmonella Strathcona outbreak during the 2025–2026 season that involved 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 cases. Those interviews point to a possible exposure, but do not by themselves confirm the food source for the current illnesses.
Food Safety News reports that more than 800 confirmed infections have been recorded between January 2023 and September 2026. The total includes 73 cases 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 becoming ill. The report does not specify how many of those cases are linked to the latest 2026 increase.
Why Recurring Summer Cases Matter
The repeated rise in illnesses during July to September matters because it suggests the problem may extend across seasons rather than involve a single, isolated cluster. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the recurring cases suggest ongoing transmission and distribution of contaminated produce in Italy and beyond. That is the agency’s assessment; the exact route of contamination has not been established for the latest cases.
Produce linked to a supply chain that crosses borders can expose people in multiple countries, including people who have not traveled. The reports also show why interviews, laboratory sequencing and food testing are used together: a food mentioned by patients can guide an investigation, but investigators need evidence connecting the product, contamination and illnesses before identifying a source with confidence.
The ECDC warned that the risk of further infections may persist while seasonal delivery of contaminated produce continues. It said new outbreaks are likely in future seasons until the root cause is identified and control measures are implemented. The agency’s warning describes a risk, not a confirmation that another outbreak will occur.
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Evidence Points Toward Tomatoes
Investigations in recent years have produced evidence connecting some earlier cases to small tomatoes from Sicily. Food Safety News reports that Austria’s outbreak investigations in 2025 identified small tomatoes traded from Sicily as the source of infections, consistent with Austrian findings in 2023 and Italian work in 2024. This history gives investigators a reason to examine tomatoes in the current outbreak, but it does not establish that every new case has the same source.
In November 2024, official sampling at a primary producer in Italy found the outbreak strain in irrigation water from a well, according to the report. Follow-up investigations in Austria in 2025 also confirmed the outbreak strain in cherry tomatoes from Italy. These findings provide evidence about earlier investigations, not a definitive account of the contamination behind the 2026 cases.
Separately, authorities in Italy’s Puglia region temporarily suspended the use and serving of raw fresh tomatoes in food preparation centers and distribution points for institutional catering. The measure covers settings such as nurseries, schools, healthcare and social-care facilities, and residential homes. The report says the action followed a rise in Salmonella Strathcona infections and detection of Salmonella in a batch of tomatoes from Caltanissetta. Earlier in October, Italian authorities also reported finding monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Strathcona in cherry tomatoes, alongside 117 salmonellosis cases in Brescia and 15 in Bergamo.
““The risk for new infections remains as long as the seasonal delivery of contaminated produce continues.””
— European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
The 2026 Source Is Not Confirmed
The latest evidence does not yet identify a confirmed source for all 2026 illnesses. Cherry tomatoes have been reported in some patient interviews, and tomato testing and earlier investigations provide relevant leads, but the source of the current cases remains under investigation. The report does not say that the batch detected in Caltanissetta accounts for the multinational cases.
Sequencing is pending for 100 additional cases, so the relationship of those illnesses to the outbreak has not yet been established in the supplied report. It also does not give a final case count for the current wave, details of each country’s investigation, or a precise timeline for resolving the source. The figure of more than 800 covers January 2023 through September 2026 and should not be read as the count for the latest season alone.
Sequencing and Food Tracing Continue
Public health authorities will need to assess the 100 cases awaiting sequencing and compare their results with the outbreak strain. Further patient interviews, laboratory testing and tracing of food products may help determine whether the current illnesses share an exposure and whether tomatoes or another product are responsible.
The Puglia restriction is a temporary regional measure for institutional catering, according to the report. The material provided does not state when it will be reviewed or lifted, nor does it describe a Europe-wide recall or restriction. The next clear milestones are updated case counts, sequencing results and any confirmed findings from food or supply-chain investigations.
Key Questions
How many people are linked to the latest outbreak reports?
More than 160 people have been reported ill across 10 European countries. Sequencing is pending for another 100 cases, and the report does not confirm whether all will be linked to the outbreak.
Has the outbreak been confirmed to come from tomatoes?
No confirmed source for all current cases is reported. Some patients said they had eaten cherry tomatoes, and earlier investigations found outbreak-strain Salmonella in tomatoes and irrigation water. Those findings are leads and evidence from prior investigations, not proof that tomatoes caused every 2026 illness.
Which countries have reported cases?
The 10 countries named are Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The report also describes cases in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States within the broader total recorded since 2023.
What has Italy done in response?
Authorities in Puglia temporarily suspended the use and serving of raw fresh tomatoes in institutional food-preparation and distribution settings, including schools, nurseries, care facilities and hospitals. The report does not describe this as a Europe-wide measure.
What information is expected next?
Authorities are awaiting sequencing for 100 additional cases. Updated laboratory results, case counts and food-tracing findings may clarify whether those illnesses are part of the outbreak and identify the source of contamination.
Source: rss
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