Foodborne Campylobacter, Listeria Infections Rose in Denmark in 2025
Denmark reported an increase in Campylobacter and Listeria infections in 2025 while continuing to strengthen its One Health surveillance system through the implementation of a new whole genome sequencing (WGS) platform, according to the country's latest Annual Report on Zoonoses.
Produced jointly by the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark, Statens Serum Institut, and the Danish Veterinary, Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries Agency, the annual report summarizes trends in foodborne disease, zoonotic pathogens, and surveillance activities across humans, animals, food, and the environment.
Campylobacter Leads in Number of Foodborne Illnesses
Campylobacter remained the leading cause of foodborne illness in Denmark, with 5,714 reported human cases in 2025, up from 5,546 cases in 2024 and 5,186 in 2023.
Salmonellosis cases decreased to 1,051 in 2025 from 1,266 in 2024.
Denmark also reported 84 cases of Listeria monocytogenes infection, representing a nearly 38 percent increase over 2024 and the highest annual total since 2022.
Outbreak-Related Cases
A total of 56 foodborne illness outbreaks resulted in 1,109 cases in 2025, similar to the 55 outbreaks reported the previous year. Reported outbreaks involved Campylobacter, Salmonella, L. monocytogenes, norovirus, Escherichia coli, spore-forming bacteria, Cryptosporidium, hepatitis A, and three local outbreaks caused by lectins from improperly prepared beans.
Among the 13 Salmonella outbreaks reported, two large national outbreaks were linked to fresh produce. One was associated with a recurring, international outbreak of S. Strathcona linked to Italian tomatoes, while imported lettuce was the suspected vehicle of illness in a second outbreak of S. Typhimurium.
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Campylobacter cases increased sharply during the summer and fall, driven primarily by two large outbreaks linked to chicken meat. Nine of the 11 Campylobacter outbreaks reported in 2025 were associated with chicken.
The report also highlighted six national listeriosis outbreaks, including the largest outbreak involving 11 cases linked to ready-to-eat (RTE) fish patties.
Additionally, six norovirus outbreaks occurred in Denmark in 2025, all of which were linked to catering operations or foodservice establishments.
WGS-Based Platform for Surveillance of Foodborne Infections
On January 1, 2025, Denmark implemented the national Sequence-Based Surveillance of Foodborne Infections (SOFI) platform for real-time WGS surveillance. The jointly operated platform enables cross-sectoral sharing of genomic data among public health and food safety authorities to improve outbreak detection and response within a One Health framework.
National Surveillance and Monitoring Activities
The report also described changes to Salmonella surveillance in pigs. Following a risk assessment showing that human salmonellosis attributable to Danish pork remains low, herd-level surveillance was discontinued in favor of carcass surveillance and prevalence-based monitoring at slaughterhouses.
Additionally, the report summarized ongoing monitoring of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in beef and game meat. While STEC prevalence remained low in beef, higher prevalence was observed in game meat, including RTE products, supporting continued targeted surveillance and risk communication for those products.
International Food Safety Efforts
Internationally, Denmark continued contributing to European research partnerships and Codex Alimentarius guideline development.
The report also noted that revised EU process hygiene criteria for Campylobacter on broiler carcasses took effect on January 1, 2025, strengthening slaughterhouse requirements aimed at reducing consumer exposure.
