Risk Wire - Episode 3 - When Salmonella Crosses Borders
ECDC: On Air
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
5.0 • 3 Ratings
🗓️ 19 December 2025
⏱️ 21 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This is a third episode of our ECDC: On Air podcast sub-series - the "Risk Wire" - focusing on Risk Assessments ECDC publishes.
This time we look into a prolonged multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Strathcona has affected 17 European countries and has been ongoing since 2023, with more than 400 confirmed cases reported so far. Investigations have identified small tomatoes as the most likely vehicle of infection, highlighting the complexity of foodborne outbreaks and the role of the environment in food contamination.
In this episode, we talk to Dr Taina Niskanen, Expert in Food-, Waterborne and Zoonotic Diseases at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and Dr Eleonora Sarno, scientific officer at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Together, they explain what Salmonella is, how it spreads, and the symptoms it can cause. They walk listeners through how the outbreak was detected and investigated across countries, how whole genome sequencing helps link human, food and environmental samples, and why collaboration between public health, food safety and environmental sectors is essential.
The episode also explores how ECDC and EFSA work with national authorities to track cases, trace food sources, and support control measures using a One Health approach.
Finally, the experts share practical food hygiene advice and explain what people can do at home to reduce the risk of infection.
Want to know more about the outbreak?
Read our press release here: bit.ly/3KNFGCx
Find out more about Salmonella on the disease pages on ECDC Portal here: www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/salmonellosis
More information on epidemiology in Europe in general can be found on our portal: ecdc.europa.eu and social media channels: bit.ly/ECDCSocialMedia
Happy listening!
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | ECDC on air. |
| 0:05.0 | The podcast of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. |
| 0:09.0 | Keeping up to date with European epidemiology. |
| 0:15.0 | Hello and welcome to ECDC on Air, the podcast by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. |
| 0:23.6 | I am your host, Andrea, recording from Stockholm, Sweden. |
| 0:28.8 | Today, we are talking about a prolonged multi-country outbreak of Sarmonela Strachona. |
| 0:34.2 | This is a strain of salmonella that has been causing ills in 17 European countries and beyond. |
| 0:37.3 | The most likely source of infection, small tomatoes. To help us understand what's happening, I'm joined by Dr. Tynan-Niscan expert in food, waterborne, |
| 0:58.6 | and sonatic diseases, and by Dr. Eleonora Sarnoff, scientific officer at the European Food Safety Authority. |
| 1:05.3 | Taina, Eleonora, welcome to EasyDC on air. |
| 1:07.4 | Hello. |
| 1:08.6 | Thank you for having me. |
| 1:10.3 | Before we get into the details of the outbreak, |
| 1:13.2 | could you please tell us a little bit about what Salmonella actually is how it spreads and what |
| 1:17.9 | kind of illness it causes? Salmonella, a bacteria that are found in different animals, |
| 1:23.5 | particular in poultry, pigs, cattle, but also in pet animals, such as birds and reptiles. |
| 1:31.2 | You can get infection in the direct contact with animals, but most of the infections are getting through |
| 1:37.6 | food, contaminated or undercooked food. |
| 1:41.5 | And foods that are most commonly involved in foodborne outbreaks in Europe |
| 1:46.7 | are eggs and egg products, different type of meats, but particularly broilermines, but also |
| 1:55.0 | vegetables have been causing outbreaks. What kind of illness does it cause? |
| 1:59.8 | Salmonella symptoms are gastrointestinal or gastroenteric |
... |
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