UK health authorities have declared a national outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis, with investigators pointing to eggs imported from outside the United Kingdom as the likely source. The outbreak has already proved deadly, with one person having died and more than 200 people infected.
According to the figures, a total of 207 cases have been confirmed. Just over a third of those affected ended up in hospital, and two patients developed bloodstream infections. Those who fell ill ranged in age from infants to people in their 90s, underlining how widely the bacteria has spread.
The strongest lead so far points to imported eggs. Investigations have identified links to eggs brought in from outside the UK, mainly used by food service and catering establishments such as restaurants and cafes. Crucially, officials stress there is no evidence that UK-produced eggs or poultry are responsible.
The Food Standards Agency says it is working closely with the UK Health Security Agency and other partners to investigate the outbreak. The national outbreak was formally declared on 18 August, drawing together cases recorded over the preceding months, the majority of them this year.
Geographically, the outbreak has reached all four nations of the UK, but the vast majority of cases have been recorded in England, where 199 people fell ill. London accounted for 47 cases and Yorkshire and the Humber for 38, making them among the most affected regions.
For context, this is far from the first salmonella scare tied to eggs in Britain. The most famous episode came in the late 1980s, when a health minister’s claim that most UK egg production was affected triggered a collapse in sales, the slaughter of millions of hens and, ultimately, her resignation. The current outbreak is much smaller in scale.
Health officials are urging the public, and especially vulnerable people, not to take risks. They advise making sure food is thoroughly cooked when eating out, and signing up for food alerts so that any recall of a specific product reaches consumers quickly.