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More than 160 illnesses have been reported in a Salmonella outbreak spanning several European countries, with most recent cases dated to July through September 2026. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says more than 800 confirmed infections have been recorded from January 2023 to September 2026; tomatoes are a suspected source, but the cause of contamination has not been established.
Health authorities in 10 European countries have reported more than 160 people sick in a recurring Salmonella outbreak, with most recent cases having onset or sample dates from July to September 2026. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) says more than 800 confirmed infections have been recorded across Europe and other countries from January 2023 through September 2026, while sequencing is pending for another 100 cases.
The countries reporting the latest illnesses are Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Several reported cases among people who lived in or had travelled to Italy before becoming ill, a pattern that may point to a shared exposure. Other countries have also recorded domestic cases. The available information does not establish where each person was exposed.
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute said the country had 39 outbreak-associated cases since June 2026. Germany and Luxembourg reported that a small number of interviewed patients had eaten cherry tomatoes; Italy also reported tomato consumption among people who became sick. These interviews provide a lead, not proof that tomatoes caused every infection.
The outbreak involves Salmonella Strathcona, and the latest reports follow earlier seasons in which infections rose in summer. The ECDC’s cumulative total of more than 800 confirmed infections includes 73 cases in the United Kingdom, 10 in Canada and 24 in the United States. At least seven Canadian patients and six American patients had travelled to Europe before falling ill, according to the report.
Why Summer Produce Remains a Concern
The recurring rise in illnesses matters because infections are appearing across national borders and over several years, while investigators have not identified a root cause or confirmed a source for every case. For consumers, the reports underscore that contaminated food can move through supply chains beyond the place where it was produced. The case counts do not, by themselves, show how likely an individual is to become sick.
The ECDC warns that new infections may continue while seasonal deliveries of contaminated produce persist. This is the agency’s assessment of the risk, not confirmation that every current illness came from tomatoes. Identifying the contamination point would help authorities and producers target controls before future seasonal distribution.
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Evidence From Earlier Tomato Investigations
The current reports follow investigations in previous seasons. In 2025, Austrian investigators identified small tomatoes traded from Sicily as the source of infections, according to the report; the findings echoed Austrian investigations in 2023 and Italian work in 2024. A separate Salmonella Strathcona outbreak during the 2025–2026 season involved 116 people.
Sampling at a primary producer in Italy in November 2024 found the outbreak strain in irrigation water from a well. Follow-up work by Austrian investigators in 2025 also confirmed the strain in cherry tomatoes from Italy. These findings offer relevant evidence from earlier investigations, but do not by themselves establish the source of the 2026 cases.
In Puglia, authorities temporarily suspended the use and serving of raw fresh tomatoes in institutional catering after infections increased and Salmonella was detected in a batch of tomatoes from Caltanissetta. The restriction covers food preparation and distribution sites serving nurseries, schools, care facilities and hospitals. Italian authorities also reported finding monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Strathcona in cherry tomatoes earlier in October, alongside 117 salmonellosis cases in Brescia and 15 in Bergamo. The report does not establish that all those cases were part of this same outbreak.
“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 Settled
Sequencing is pending for 100 additional cases, so the extent of the outbreak could change as results become available. The report does not give a final count for those cases or clarify how many will be linked to the outbreak strain.
Tomatoes are a line of investigation based on patient interviews and findings from earlier seasons, but those clues do not prove that the current cases share a single contaminated batch or producer. It also remains unclear how contamination may have occurred, which distribution routes may be involved, and whether the Puglia restriction applies beyond its stated institutional catering settings.
Case Sequencing and Control Measures
Authorities are expected to continue investigating reported cases and assessing the pending sequencing results. Those results may help determine which illnesses belong to the same outbreak and refine the case count. The report does not specify when sequencing will be completed or announce a timetable for a final assessment.
Investigators will also need to establish whether tomatoes are linked to the newly reported infections and, if so, identify the point at which contamination occurred. The ECDC says future seasonal outbreaks remain likely until the root cause is identified and control measures are put in place. Readers should look for further updates from national health authorities and the ECDC as investigations develop.
Key Questions
How many illnesses have been reported in the latest wave?
Authorities in 10 European countries have reported more than 160 sick people. Sequencing is pending for another 100 cases, so the number linked to the outbreak may change.
Are tomatoes confirmed as the source?
No. Some interviewed patients reported eating cherry tomatoes, and earlier investigations found the outbreak strain in tomatoes and irrigation water. Those findings are evidence for investigation, not confirmation that tomatoes caused every current case.
Which countries reported cases?
The latest reports cover Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The longer-term total also includes cases in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
Why do officials expect further cases?
The ECDC says infections have recurred in summer and warns that new outbreaks are likely in future seasons until investigators identify the contamination source and control measures are implemented.
Source: rss
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