In 2022, there were 5,142 registered cases of campylobacter and 899 recorded cases of salmonella in Denmark. For the second year in a row, the numbers have increased and are now at the same level as before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the annual report on the occurrence of zoonoses in Denmark in 2022.
Campylobacter has a long history of being the number one cause of foodborne diseases in Denmark. 2022 saw 5,142 recorded cases of campylobacteriosis, and 28 per cent of these cases were travel-related. The Central Outbreak Management Group (DCUG) investigated eleven outbreaks, five of which were caused by contaminated Danish chicken meat.
These are the findings presented in the annual report for 2022 on the incidence of zoonoses—animal and foodborne diseases that can be transmitted to humans—prepared by the National Food Institute, Statens Serum Institut, and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration. These three organisations are all part of the Central Outbreak Management Group and are jointly responsible for investigating outbreaks of foodborne diseases.
Focus on early detection
“In 2022, the Central Outbreak Management Group focused on early detection. The threshold for investigating campylobacter outbreaks was lowered in 2022 to five recorded cases. This means that we’ve investigated more campylobacter outbreaks than in previous years,” says Annette Perge, Head of Section at the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.
“Since 2019, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and Statens Serum Institut have monitored campylobacter in sources and humans through whole genome sequencing, which is a method for analysing the DNA of microorganisms. Because of this, we’ve detected many more outbreaks and have found that the source is very often chicken meat,” says Luise Müller, Epidemiologist at Statens Serum Institut.
For the second year in a row, the number of salmonella cases continued to rise to 899 cases in 2022. Three of the eleven outbreaks in 2022 were part of larger international outbreaks. One outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium led to 369 cases in 16 countries, and the source was chocolate products, especially Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs.
Most foodborne outbreaks caused by norovirus
In 2022, there were 14 outbreaks of norovirus with a total of 614 recorded cases.
“There are several ways you can get infected with norovirus. What often happens is that kitchen staff in cafés, restaurants, canteens, and catering services spread the disease when handling the food. That’s why good hygiene in the kitchen is so important, and you should never cook for others if you have an upset stomach,” says Marianne Sandberg, Senior Researcher and Head of Research Group at the National Food Institute.
National monitoring programmes and action plans
For many years, Denmark has focused on reducing salmonella and campylobacter in animals and meat through national monitoring programmes and action plans.
In 2022, a new action plan for campylobacter was implemented. One new aspect is that each slaughterhouse will be held accountable for its ability to ensure that the presence and concentration of bacteria in chicken products is kept below certain thresholds and is lowered to under the slaughterhouse’s previous level.
Learn more
The Annual Report on Zoonoses presents a large amount of the data collected on the occurrence of zoonoses in feed, animals, food, and humans by the Danish authorities and industry. The report contains data on zoonoses spanning a period of more than ten years, which enables researchers to monitor trends over time.
Read the full report on the National Food Institute website: Annual Report on Zoonoses in Denmark 2022 (pdf). You can also request a copy of the report by contacting food@food.dtu.dk.
Facts about zoonoses in 2022:
- In 2022, there were 63 recorded outbreaks of foodborne diseases
- Norovirus was the most common cause of foodborne outbreaks with 14 outbreaks involving 614 people in 2022. The most common route of transmission is through food contamination by kitchen staff in restaurants and canteens
- Three types of bacteria are the most common causes of recorded disease cases: campylobacter (5,142), Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) (1,330), and salmonella (899). The number of STEC cases is higher than in previous years, mainly because of changes in diagnostics.
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