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Feb 4, 2026 - Foods

Study confirms known patterns of salmonella epidemiology in Europe

A new EU-funded study using modern genome analyses and AI shows that non-typhoidal Salmonella continue to be among the most common zoonotic pathogens in Europe, and infections spread particularly along cross-border food chains.

A recent multinational study led by the Netherlands examined the five most common non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars in Europe. Using core genome multilocus sequence typing and machine learning, extensive datasets from ten European countries were evaluated. The results confirm that the serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium cause the majority of human infections.

Furthermore, the study concludes that pets do not significantly contribute to the spread of these Salmonella serovars. Instead, infections in humans frequently occur in countries other than the countries of origin of the raw materials or products—an effect attributed to the close European integration of food production and logistics.

The BAV Institute specializes in the investigation of Salmonella and conducts analyses even on large sample volumes and quantities. Additionally, the institute offers professional advice on questions of product safety.

• Literature:
  TEUNIS G, DALLMAN T, ZAJAC M et al. (2025): Attributable sources of the five most prevalent non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars across ten European countries. Journal of Infection 91(5):106632. DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2025.106632
• Salmonellosis Guide - Robert Koch Institute: https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/EpidBull/Merkblaetter/Ratgeber_Salmonellose.html
• Technical information from the BAV Institute: https://www.bav-institut.de/de/news/Salmonellen-in-Lebensmitteln-Von-Schnellmethode-bis-Stammvergleich?referrer=start