Most foodborne infections decreased in Ireland from July to September this year compared to the same period in 2023.
The data comes from a report published by the Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC) that includes foodborne illness in the third quarter of 2024.
In the first quarter of 2024, there were 733 cases of Campylobacter, five Listeria infections, 67 cases of Salmonella and 116 infections with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
In the second quarter of this year there were 1,320 cases of Campylobacter, seven Listeria infections, 94 cases of Salmonella and 262 STEC infections.
From July to September 2024, reports of Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli decreased, while Listeria infections were the same as reports in the same period in 2023.
A total of 1,024 Campylobacter infections were reported in the third quarter of 2024, compared to 1,057 cases in the third quarter of 2023. Two outbreaks affected five people. Both were family outbreaks in private households. Of the 69 isolates sequenced, 58 were Campylobacter jejuni and 10 were Campylobacter coli.
A total of 247 E. coli infections were reported, compared to 343 in the same period in 2023. 111 people were hospitalized and there were 10 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney disease that can sometimes lead to leads to death.
Sixty people became ill in fifteen outbreaks. This involved two to eighteen patients. Four were general outbreaks: two in childcare facilities and two outbreaks at recreational activities. Eleven were classified as family outbreaks. The most common serogroups reported among culture-confirmed cases were O26, O157, and O145.
Listeria and Salmonella
Six cases of listeriosis were recorded in the third quarter of 2024, which is the same as in the third quarter of 2023. Four cases were adult or juvenile cases and two were pregnancy-related or neonatal cases.
There were no outbreaks, but two isolates genetically related to other isolates were identified and further investigated.
A total of 133 cases of salmonellosis were reported in the third quarter of 2024, compared to 150 in the third quarter of 2023.
Of the 97 cases for which travel history was known, 49 percent were travel-related and 51 percent were domestically acquired. An association with travel was more common in cases of Salmonella Enteritidis.
In two outbreaks, 16 people became ill. One was caused by the consumption of duck eggs and the other was related to travel to Portugal.
A total of 76 cases of cryptosporidiosis were reported in the third quarter of 2024, far fewer than the 239 in 2023, and more comparable to this period in previous years. There were 22 travel-related cases. Four outbreaks affected nine people.
Hepatitis A cases fell from 19 to 15 in the third quarter of 2024. Three family outbreaks were recorded and one was linked to international travel. The number of cases of hepatitis E increased from 13 to 14. Most patients were between 25 and 64 years old, but one was younger than 10 years old. This quarter also saw the first case of childhood botulism since 2014.
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