Foodborne Illness Outbreaks and Serious Listeria Infections Rising in EU
According to the newly published European Union One Health 2024 Zoonoses Report, the number of human listeriosis cases with severe outcomes is on the rise across the EU.
Conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the report compiles surveillance data from 27 EU Member States, Northern Ireland, and 10 non-EU countries, covering humans, food, animals, and feed. It reflects the One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health to better understand and mitigate zoonotic risks.
In light of the report’s findings, EFSA and ECDC experts stress the importance of a One Health approach for understanding and addressing public health risks from foodborne diseases.
Foodborne Illnesses and Outbreaks on the Rise
The overall number of foodborne illness outbreaks in 2024 increased by 14.5 percent compared to 2023, totaling 6,558 outbreaks. Human cases (62,481) rose by nearly 20 percent, and hospitalizations (3,336) by 15 percent, although deaths (53) decreased by 18.5 percent.
Additionally, over the past 5 years, there has been a significant increase in the total number of individual foodborne illnesses reported caused by Brucella, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and STEC.
In 2024, Salmonella (1,238 outbreaks encompassing 10,164 cases), norovirus (631 outbreaks, 14,297 cases), and Campylobacter (314 outbreaks, 1,420 cases) were the most common microbiological drivers of foodborne illness outbreaks. Notably:
- Salmonella linked to “eggs and egg products” caused the highest number of outbreaks and hospitalizations, and linked with “pig meat and products thereof” or “vegetables and juices and other products thereof,” Salmonella ranked among the top ten in all pairs of causative agents and food vehicles
- Norovirus paired with “mixed foods” caused the highest number of cases
- Salmonella was the most frequently reported agent in multi-country outbreaks.
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections were also included in the report, causing 11,738 cases in 2024 (3.5 cases per 100,000 people)—an increase of 12.9 percent compared with 2023 (3.1 cases per 100,000 population). At the same time, attributable to improved food product testing, the number of foodborne illness outbreaks caused by STEC decreased from 2023 (66) to 2024 (31). Only 158 cases of STEC infection were outbreak-associated in 2024.
Listeria monocytogenes: A Rare but Serious Threat
In 2024, L. monocytogenes caused the highest proportion of hospitalizations and deaths among all foodborne infections reported in the EU. Approximately 72 percent of infected individuals required hospitalization, and 8 percent of outbreak-related cases were fatal. For standalone infections not linked to an outbreak, the hospitalization and mortality rates were even higher, sitting at 97.3 percent and 15.6 percent, respectively.
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EFSA and ECDC say the upward trend in listeriosis cases observed over recent years may reflect several factors, including Europe’s aging population, increased consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, and improper food handling and storage practices.
Although contamination levels in RTE foods remain low, the report notes that fermented sausages had the highest proportion of samples (3 percent) exceeding the regulatory limit of 100 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g), compared to near-zero levels in other categories.
Salmonella and Campylobacter Remain Significant
While L. monocytogenes poses the greatest risk of severe illness, Campylobacter and Salmonella remain the most frequently reported causes of foodborne illness in Europe. In 2024:
- Campylobacteriosis accounted for 168,396 cases (55.3 per 100,000 people)
- Salmonellosis accounted for 79,703 cases (18.6 per 100,000 people).
Poultry and eggs continue to be major sources of infection.
The report also highlights a decade-long increase in Salmonella-positive breeding flocks of chickens and turkeys, signaling persistent challenges in controlling the pathogen. In 2024, only 12 Member States met EU targets for reducing Salmonella in poultry.
