Czechia Reports Highest Salmonellosis Rates in Europe
A newly published study covering the period 2012–2023 indicates that Czechia maintains the highest notification rate of human salmonellosis in Europe, consistently exceeding the EU average by approximately fivefold. Although the overall trend shows a decline in reported cases, the analysis underscores the central role of the poultry supply chain, particularly eggs and chicken meat, as the primary vehicles of infection.
Eggs were identified as the most common vehicle, accounting for 38.5% of specified foodborne cases. Poultry meat ranked second, responsible for 21.0% of cases. In foodborne outbreaks, eggs (9.8%) and poultry meat (7.3%) remained the leading confirmed sources, alongside ready-to-eat foods. The dominant Salmonella serovar was Salmonella Enteritidis (85.9% of cases), which is historically strongly associated with commercial layer production. Salmonella Infantis consistently ranked as the third or fourth most prevalent serovar and is commonly associated with broiler production.
