12 cases of listeria including 4 fatal in Denmark, Germany and France. EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, launches an alert: the epidemic outbreak is linked to the consumption of salmon
Food alert. 12 cases of listeria including 4 fatal in Denmark, Germany and France. EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, publishes a warning: the epidemic outbreak is linked to the consumption of salmon.
Listeria (scientifically known as Listeria monocytogenes) is a bacterium that causes a very serious infectious disease (called listeriosis) and that is transmitted through food, especially raw, but also by direct contact and in the slaughtering process of infected animals. The pathogen mainly causes central nervous system infections such as meningitis and meningoencephalitis, but also gastroenteritis in healthy people who have been severely infected.
Up to 8 October 2018, 12 cases have been reported in the countries concerned, four of which are fatal. In August 2017 Denmark reported the first group of cases and in October 2017 France reported the detection of the same strain: all attributable to lots of marinated salmon from the same Polish processing company, as happened in the investigation of the Danish epidemic. In Germany, the most recent case linked to the outbreak was notified in May 2018.
"The detection of the same strain of Listeria in a salmon product in France and a new human case in Germany suggest that the source of the contamination may be still active and that the contaminated products have been distributed to other EU countries besides Denmark. Pregnant women, the elderly and immunosuppressed individuals are at greater risk of contracting listeriosis ”writes EFSA.
Infection is indeed very rare, but not impossible. Only last year, for example, our Ministry of Health withdrew a batch of porchetta di Ariccia PGI at risk and, again last year, the same salmon was also subjected to a similar precautionary procedure.
On the other hand, unfortunately, the precarious hygienic conditions intensive farming (of salmon as of other animals), which would lead to a greater spread of pathogens, up to supermarkets and our tables.
The alarm, however, does not concern our country for now.
Roberta de carolis
Read also:
- Salmon: 10 good reasons not to eat it
- Salmon: everything they don't want us to know
