23 July 2026
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has released its annual surveillance report (RIVM Report 2026-0096), detailing the epidemiological trends, disease burden, and economic impacts of foodborne and enteral pathogens in the Netherlands for 2025.
The findings highlight significant public health concerns regarding poultry-associated enteric pathogens, specifically Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and Campylobacter species, which continue to drive a substantial proportion of the country’s gastrointestinal disease burden.
Human Salmonella infections reached a multi-year high in 2025, with 1,736 laboratory-confirmed isolates submitted to the national surveillance system. This reflects a continued upward trend from 2023 (n=1,511) and 2024 (n=1,666), remaining significantly higher than pre-pandemic baseline levels (2016–2019 average: 1,311 cases).
S. Enteritidis accounted for the largest share of cases (n=694; 40% of all submitted isolates), marking the highest annual count observed in the Netherlands in over two decades.
Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) demonstrated high genomic diversity across 96 distinct human clusters, indicating a widespread, continuous infection pressure across the primary egg production sector (laying hens) rather than a single point-source outbreak. Existing control measures, including heightened testing frequencies and biosecurity protocols, have not yet successfully reversed this trend, which mirrors an elevated S. Enteritidis prevalence above the EU 2% target limit in Dutch laying hen flocks.
In addition to egg-related transmission, WGS and epidemiological investigations identified two major S. Enteritidis clusters (comprising 80 and 36 human cases, respectively) linked to poultry meat consumption, including imported chicken products and chicken kebab.
Non-typhoidal Salmonella spp. caused an estimated 30,000 community cases, 1,200 to 1,300 Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), and €28 million in healthcare costs and productivity losses in 2025.
Campylobacter remains one of the primary drivers of bacterial gastroenteritis in the Netherlands. In 2025, 4,856 campylobacteriose cases were reported via the ISIS-AR laboratory system. Campylobacter jejuni was the predominant species identified (87%), followed by Campylobacter coli (11%). Source attribution models confirm that poultry (chicken meat) is the primary reservoir for human campylobacteriosis, accounting for 48% of all cases. Campylobacter spp. contributed to an estimated 57,000 total community cases, 2,600 DALYs (making it the second highest bacterial burden behind Norovirus), and €62 million in direct and indirect healthcare costs in 2025.
According to RIVM’s structured expert elicitation and source attribution modeling, poultry-derived products are responsible for a major share of the total foodborne illness burden in the Netherlands.
Due to the sustained elevation in incidence and widespread genomic clusters, RIVM has classified Salmonella at the Highest Urgency Level (Level 3) on its national surveillance framework, requiring direct public health and agricultural interventions. Surveillance partners.
Friesema et al. (2026). Voedselgerelateerde en overige enterale infecties in Nederland: Jaarrapportage 2025 (RIVM-rapport 2026-0096). Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM).
