Home Food Dutch data show that the number of outbreaks will decrease in 2023

Dutch data show that the number of outbreaks will decrease in 2023

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Dutch data show that the number of outbreaks will decrease in 2023

According to recently reported statistics, the number of outbreaks and sick people in the Netherlands has decreased compared to the previous year.

In 2023, 911 outbreaks were reported, sickening 3,500 people. In 2022 there were 1,173 outbreaks and 4,505 sick people.

Norovirus, Salmonella and Campylobacter were still the most identified causes of outbreaks in 2023.

Information about food-related outbreaks comes from the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and the GGDs. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) combines the reports from both agencies and analyzes them.

Nine outbreaks involved 25 or more sick people. One with 100 patients was caused by norovirus and another with 156 cases between June 2023 and January 2024 was due to Salmonella Enteritidis.

An inspection was carried out in 72 percent of reported outbreaks. This is comparable to previous years. Samples were taken at 12 percent of the inspections, a decrease compared to previous years.

In total, a pathogen was identified in 32 of the 911 outbreaks in patients and/or in food or environmental samples.

Salmonella was responsible for 14 outbreaks and 235 illnesses. Norovirus was the cause of seven outbreaks involving 178 patients and was also found together with rotavirus in two outbreaks. Campylobacter caused seven outbreaks with 34 cases. One was due to E. coli O157 and rotavirus, in 15 and seven patients respectively.

Of the outbreaks in which a pathogen was detected, six involved environmental samples, with norovirus RNA detected three times, norovirus and rotavirus RNA twice, and rotavirus RNA once.

Major outbreak of Salmonella eggs
In two outbreaks, Salmonella was found during sampling that was linked to a cluster of patients via WGS. One case involved overshoes from a laying hen farm that tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis. No patients with this type of Salmonella have been reported in other EU countries. Based on interviews with patients, eggs were suspected to be the source of infection.

Salmonella Enteritidis was found in the production environment of an egg packing station and in a batch of eggshells intended for animal feed. The NVWA has tightened supervision of the processing of eggshells in the animal feed industry.

The other, from dried sausage, was a Salmonella Typhimurium strain identical to a human cluster. Further research by the NVWA showed that the ripening processes were too short, allowing any Salmonella present in the sausage to survive.

In the majority of outbreaks involving a pathogen, it was found only in the patient. In one of these 24 outbreaks with 18 Salmonella Typhimurium infections, there was a strong epidemiological link with a butcher who was also a caterer. However, no contaminated product was found.

Given the short incubation period of 1 to 12 hours in 19 outbreaks involving more than 10 patients, it is possible that some were caused by Bacillus cereus, S. aureus and Clostridium perfringens.

The suspected food preparation locations were mainly restaurants, cafeterias/fast food/takeaways and home settings. Catering is often mentioned in major incidents.

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