Luxembourg has published data on the number of people who became ill from foodborne pathogens in 2023.
The epidemiological report analyzes the data collected by the infectious disease surveillance system for 2023.
Health officials said there was a notable increase in salmonellosis cases linked to travel to Turkey. As travel frequency normalized following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in gastrointestinal and foodborne illnesses.
In 2023, 855 cases of campylobacteriosis were recorded, compared to 912 in 2022. The average age of those affected was 37 years, and men were affected slightly more often than women.
Of the 250 strains analyzed, the most were Campylobacter jejuni, with Campylobacter coli in second place.
Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria
A total of 171 Salmonella infections were registered, compared to 165 in 2022.
The average age of the sick was slightly over 27 years. Children under ten years of age had the highest incidence. There was a spike in cases in September, which was linked to people returning from holiday.
Salmonella Enteritidis was found most frequently with 70 cases, followed by monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium with 26 cases and Salmonella Typhimurium with 17 cases.
Fourteen Salmonella Enteritidis infections were linked to travel to Turkey at several all-inclusive hotels, a finding also reported in other countries. A precise source of these cases has not yet been determined.
A case of Salmonella Strathcona was also part of an incident at European level where tomatoes were the suspected source.
Sixteen cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) were reported, compared to nine infections in 2022. One person was hospitalized and developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
The number of listeriosis patients was the same as last year at four. The average age of the cases was 85, and three were men. Three people with underlying conditions died.
Summary of other diseases
In 2023, 39 culture-confirmed cases of shigellosis were identified, an increase from 27 in 2022. Nearly two-thirds of Shigella strains were Shigella sonnei. The mean age of cases with confirmed shigellosis was 36.6 years and 67 percent were male.
A total of 34 cases of Yersinia were recorded, compared to 35 in 2022. The average age of patients with culture-confirmed yersiniosis was almost 20 years, and men were slightly more affected.
The number of reports of norovirus rose from 588 to 688. The average age of those affected was just under 26 years, and women represented just over half of the cases. High figures were recorded in children under 5 years of age and in people aged 80 or over.
The number of cases of Cryptosporidium increased from 117 to 212. Women were affected more often than men, and the average age of those affected was younger than 27 years. The incidence is higher in children under 5 years of age and in women aged 25 to 39 years.
At the end of summer 2023, a clear increase in the number of infections was observed. Following the detection of the spike in cases and reports from other European countries that more people were becoming ill, especially after returning from abroad, health officials launched an investigation using an online questionnaire for invited cases.
About half of the invited cases completed the questionnaire. Children aged 0 to 4 years accounted for a fifth of the cases. More than half of the patients had been abroad during this period and almost two-thirds had been swimming. However, the research did not reveal one clear source.
The Luxembourg Veterinary and Food Administration (ALVA) is organizing an in-person conference on food safety on October 10.
The annual event focuses on contaminants in the food chain. Speakers come from various agencies, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the French Agency for Food, Environment and Health and Safety at Work (ANSES). Participation is free, but registration is required.
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