Infectious Diseases 2023

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is currently investigating and responding to outbreaks of separate strains of Salmonella Enteritidis linked to Polish eggs and poultry products. The FSA has been in contact with Polish authorities to request further information and testing results.
One outbreak serotype is being linked to 47 confirmed cases in the UK, with 25 cases associated with a single restaurant and an additional 18 cases showing probable restaurant exposure. Polish authorities have identified Salmonella Enteritidis at one of their sites, which distributed eggs to the UK. Eggs from this source have been linked to a second UK restaurant associated with the outbreak. FSA has coordinated efforts with Polish authorities and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to facilitate the comparison of whole-genome sequencing results from human cases in the UK with environmental sampling results from Poland.
A further outbreak serotype is being linked to 87 reported cases, with 35 reported in June/July 2023. The majority of cases reported this year have connections to bakeries in Cornwall.
Epidemiological investigations have suggested that eggs used in the production of custard tarts are the most likely cause of the outbreak. Food supply chain investigations have established that these eggs are once again likely to have originated from Poland. Enquiries with the manufacturer and egg supplier are ongoing.
Eggs and chicken meat originating from Poland have often been linked to food poisoning.