The Public Health Agency of Sweden has announced that more than 50 confirmed cases of Salmonella Enteritidis infection have been diagnosed. There is an expectation that the number of patients will increase given the extent of distribution of eggs from the affected farm. Cases have been documented in 19 regions of the nation to date. Case reports extended from early December 2022 to mid-January 2023.
The outbreak was traced to the affected farm that yielded SE on environmental sampling. Whole genome sequencing confirmed that isolates from the farm and patients were identical. Implicated eggs have been recalled from supermarkets, groceries and restaurants all of which had a best-before date of January 28th, 2023.
The implicated farm operated by CA Cedergren housed 165,000 hens all of which were depleted. The source of the SE infection is currently unknown although an epidemiologic investigation is in progress. Mandatory monitoring of commercial poultry flocks is a standard procedure in Sweden. The vaccination status of the flock was not disclosed.