Salmonella outbreak sickens 12 in Denmark

A dozen people have fallen sick in recent weeks in a Salmonella outbreak in Denmark.

During March and April, 12 cases of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported, said the Statens Serum Institut (SSI).

People were infected with the same type of Salmonella. Patients are between 5 and 80 years old with a median age of 35. Six are males and six are females. Patients have been reported from different parts of the country.

The SSI, Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen), and DTU Food Institute are investigating the outbreak.

SSI is performing whole genome sequencing of patients’ Salmonella isolates and interviewing patients or relatives to try and identify a possible source of infection.

Whole genome sequencing of bacteria isolated from patients revealed samples were very closely related and all belonged to sequence type 19.

In 2022, 899 Salmonella cases were recorded in Denmark, which was up from 2021 and 2020 but down from 2019.

Salmonella caused 11 outbreaks in 2022, with three of them part of international incidents. The largest was a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak, where 24 cases were reported between March and September. The source could not be identified, but chicken products from Poland were suspected.

About Salmonella
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, according to the CDC.

Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning 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 get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others.

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