Rapid outbreak assessment: Multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Stanley infections – Third update, 8 May 2014

Between 1 August 2011 and 31 January 2013, 710 cases of non-travel-related S. Stanley infections were identified in 10 EU Member States. Epidemiological and microbiological information gathered through a public health, food and veterinary investigation strongly suggested that a contamination in the turkey production chain was the source of the outbreak.

Since January 2014, new cases, clusters and epidemics of S. Stanley have been reported in four Member States, all potentially linked to the previous S. Stanley outbreak in 2011–2012. All cases shared the same indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) outbreak strain. The recent cases and changes in the epidemiology of S. Stanley in the EU suggest that the 2011–2012 outbreak strain is still present on the European food market. Therefore, new sporadic cases and outbreaks of S. Stanley are expected, and other European countries may be affected.

ECDC encourages Member States to investigate small clusters and outbreaks of domestically acquired S. Stanley infections and report findings through the Epidemic Intelligence Information System for food- and waterborne diseases. ECDC also encourages all countries to participate in ECDC’s molecular surveillance pilot study and submit PFGE patterns of S. Stanley isolates to the European Surveillance System.

ECDC and EFSA recommend that further actions should be taken by risk managers in countries to detect and contain S. Stanley infections in the turkey production chain, thus avoiding the subsequent contamination of turkey meat. If necessary, similar steps should be taken in the broiler production chain.