Germany has published data on foodborne outbreaks and infections for 2021, showing more than 130 outbreaks and an increase in most pathogens.
In 2021, 376 potentially food-related outbreaks (excluding norovirus) involving 1,263 diseases were reported to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), compared to 423 outbreaks in 2020. The figures come from the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Annual Report, which was released earlier this year. month.
Of the 132 confirmed foodborne outbreaks, 704 people became ill. Sixty were caused by Campylobacter, with 205 cases, and 59 by Salmonella, with 465 cases.
In three Listeria outbreaks, there were eleven cases and one death. Two E. coli outbreaks affected six people, while two Yersinia enterocolitica outbreaks affected four patients. Six of the 1,430 norovirus outbreaks were reported as food-related, and 22 people were sick. Four hepatitis A outbreaks involved nine patients.
In 60 outbreaks with information about the suspected food, meat products were mentioned most often, followed by eggs or egg products and milk and dairy products.
Campylobacter and E. coli situation
A total of 48,066 cases of Campylobacter were reported in 2021, a slight increase from the year before, but below 2019 levels. Most fell ill from July to September, but a second peak was recorded early this year.
Of the patients with information about the suspected country of infection, most became ill in Germany, but Spain, Croatia and Italy were also mentioned. Seven people died. These involved four women and three men between the ages of 55 and 87.
The largest outbreak, with 37 cases, was reported from Brandenburg. Several school classes had visited a farm and consumed raw milk, and the pathogen was detected in the milk.
In 2021, 1,601 cases of E. coli were reported, an increase from 2020 but a decrease from 2019. Germany was often listed as the likely country of infection, followed by Turkey.
The most frequently mentioned serogroups were O26, O103, O157 and O91. A few deaths were reported in people aged 2 to 79 years. German officials said the number of cases for which information about the serogroup was known was low. These data make detecting epidemiological links in apparently sporadic infections virtually impossible.
The number of cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) decreased from 60 in 2020 to 54. The incidence in children under 5 years of age was significantly higher than in other age groups. Fourteen cases occurred in children aged 5 to 14 years and three in people aged 15 years and older. O157 was reported 13 times. Two deaths were noted in children aged 3 and 4 years.
Salmonella and other pathogens
A total of 8,186 cases of salmonellosis were reported, compared to 8,771 in 2020. Most people were infected in Germany, but Turkey, Italy, Spain, Poland and Egypt were also mentioned. The highest age-specific incidences occurred in children under five years of age.
The most frequently mentioned serovars were Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium (including the monophasic variant). Salmonella Infantis, Derby, Chester and Braenderup followed at a considerable distance.
Eighteen deaths were related to salmonellosis. It involved a baby under one year old and ten men and seven women between 60 and 98 years old. Six deaths were caused by Salmonella Typhimurium, three by Salmonella Enteritidis and one by Salmonella Dublin.
The largest outbreak included 70 cases of Salmonella Braenderup and was part of a multinational event traced to Galia melons from Honduras. In a Salmonella Chester outbreak with 54 cases, kebab meat was the likely vehicle. An outbreak involving several serovars, including Amsterdam, Havana, Kintambo, Mbandaka, Orion, Senftenberg and Tennessee, was linked to tahini and halva products from Syria.
Listeria infections remained stable at 584, compared to 578 in 2020. The incidence of non-pregnancy-related cases increased significantly with age. A total of 22 deaths were reported with listeriosis reported as the cause of death.
For Yersinia, 1,929 diseases were reported, a slight increase compared to 2020. The highest incidence occurred in children under five years of age. Almost all cases for which information was available involved Yersinia enterocolitica, and serotype O:3 was the main type detected.
Four cases of foodborne botulism were recorded. Two women and two men became ill. Two people from the same household became ill after consuming a commercial almond sauce containing botulinum neurotoxin serotype A, found in patients and in food scraps.
In one case, the source of infection with botulinum neurotoxin serotype B may have been a domestic slaughterhouse sausage brought from Poland. In another case, botulinum neurotoxin serotype E was detected, but the source was not stated.
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