Recently released statistics show that the number of food poisoning cases in Austria remained stable in 2021, although more people were infected compared to the previous year.
The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) has reported 20 outbreaks in the past year compared to 21 in 2020. However, 92 people were affected in 2021 and 67 people in 2020.
Overall, 27 had to be hospitalized in 2021 compared to 17 in 2020, and there were 2 deaths compared to 1 in 2020.
Salmonella was the most common pathogen in 9 outbreaks and 61 cases. Campylobacter was second with 6 outbreaks and 12 cases, followed by Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) with 4 outbreaks with 14 cases and Listeria with 1 outbreak with 5 cases and 2 cases. human fatalities have occurred.
The largest outbreak was due to monophasic Salmonella typhimurium, in which 31 people became ill and 10 had to be hospitalized. A variety of meals in the restaurant and animal connections were established in the attached petting zoo.
One incident was part of an international outbreak of Salmonella Braenderup in Gallia melons from Honduras. In Austria, 11 people became ill and seven were hospitalized.
Two people die in listeria outbreak
In the listeriosis outbreak, five people became infected after eating meat products from the slaughterhouse, two of whom died.
Two outbreaks due to Campylobacter jejuni have occurred. The contaminated food was uncooked chicken from another country in Europe.
Three outbreaks occurred abroad, two with Salmonella Enteritidis, one after a stay in Romania, another unknown, and one with STEC after a trip to Turkey.
Outbreaks that affect only one household member are classified as domestic outbreaks. In 2021, 75% of all epidemics were classified as household outbreaks.
The number of outbreaks is well below the 48 reported in 2019, with 793 sick and 159 hospitalized, and 52 with 222 associated illnesses and 58 hospitalizations in 2018.
It was previously reported that the number of human isolates sent to the Salmonella National Reference Center increased from 906 in 2020 to 1,048 in 2021.
A total of 6019 cases of campylobacteriosis were reported in Austria, 36 cases of invasive listeriosis were documented, and 7 died within 28 days of diagnosis.
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