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Infection with Salmonella spp. is the second most reported zoonotic disease in humans with 60 050 reported cases in 2021 in the European Union (EU) and Salmonella is associated with the highest number of foodborne outbreaks. The overall EU trend of salmonellosis incidence for the years 2017 to 2021 have not changed significantly. To prevent foodborne diseases such as salmonellosis, human surveillance systems at different levels are essential to monitor the disease and to have an early detection and response to outbreaks.

Since June 2017, a cross-border outbreak of Salmonella Virchow ST16 has been ongoing in five EU/EEA countries, the UK, and the US. A total of 210 cases have been reported. No deaths have been reported. A majority of cases have been linked to local restaurants serving kebab meat.

This report provides an overview of the main findings of the 2020–2021 harmonised AMR monitoring in Salmonella spp., Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli in humans and food-producing animals and relevant meat thereof.

Salmonellosis is the second most commonly reported gastrointestinal infection, and an important cause of food-borne outbreaks in the EU/EEA. In 2019, 89 066 laboratory-confirmed cases of salmonellosis were reported, out of which 139 were fatal.

In 2018, 92 881 laboratory-confirmed cases of salmonellosis were reported, out of which 121 were fatal.

In 2021, 30 EU/EEA countries reported data on salmonellosis. Twenty-six countries reported data using either the 2008, 2012 or 2018 EU case definitions for salmonellosis. Compared with the 2008 and 2012 EU case definitions, the 2018 EU case definition allows nucleic acid determination for laboratory confirmation, and includes a requirement for antimicrobial susceptibility testing and reporting of results. Four countries used another case definition, which was not specified.

This report of the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control presents the results of zoonoses monitoring and surveillance activities carried out in 2021 in 27 MSs, the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) and nine non-MSs.

A cross-border outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka ST413 has been ongoing in the EU/EEA, Israel, and the UK since September 2021.

Salmonellosis is the second most commonly reported gastrointestinal infection, and an important cause of food-borne outbreaks in the EU/EEA.

On 17 February 2022, the United Kingdom (UK) reported a cluster of cases with monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium sequence type 34 infection. As of 18 May 2022, 324 cases had been reported in 12 EU/EEA countries and the UK, including two distinct strains.