Swedish Board of Agriculture Warns of Unusual Salmonella: "A Menace"

The national salmonella outbreak stems from a type of bacteria that has been rare in Sweden but has increased in recent years. And no one knows why.

• It's a menacing salmonella that penetrates the egg, says Katharina Gielen at the Swedish Board of Agriculture.

When there is a salmonella outbreak in Sweden, several authorities collaborate: the Public Health Agency, the National Food Agency, the National Veterinary Institute, and the Swedish Board of Agriculture.

The Swedish Board of Agriculture first became aware of what is now a national salmonella outbreak in mid-August. At that time, the infectious disease doctor in the Östergötland region contacted the county administrative board, which in turn contacted the Swedish Board of Agriculture after a person who had bought eggs was found to be infected with salmonella.

Hens Culled After Salmonella

On August 19, the authority took samples from the farm where the eggs came from, and a few days later, they received positive results.

• We then ensured that no more eggs were sent out for consumption. Then it was the usual procedure: the animals must be removed, and the area sanitized, says Katharina Gielen, head of infection control at the Swedish Board of Agriculture.

According to her, the current flock consisted of 38,000 hens. All need to be culled to prevent the spread of infection and to allow for sanitation.

Unusual Salmonella Type in Sweden

When the authority later received results on the type of salmonella, it turned out to be a relatively uncommon variant in Sweden: salmonella enteritidis.

• It's a menacing salmonella that penetrates the eggs and is not just on the surface. All eggs that go through packing stations are washed, so other salmonella types disappear easily, says Katharina Gielen.

She continues:

• This is a type of salmonella common in other countries but one we haven't seen in Sweden for a long time. But since 2021, we've seen an increase.

"Cannot Accept"

Expressen reaches Katharina Gielen outside office hours, and she doesn't have the exact numbers in her head, but says that the number of cases of salmonella enteritidis has gone from none or a few to five or six.

And she doesn't mean sick people but infected animal herds.

• We haven't had sick people every time, she says.

The Swedish Board of Agriculture doesn't know what the increase is due to but is trying to find out.

"A Detective Work"

• It's a detective work, and so far, we have no answer. It's still very little, but it's an increase we cannot accept, says Katharina Gielen.

The authority collaborates with Belgium and the Netherlands, which have had cases of this type of salmonella, to gain their experiences and knowledge.

• We are also working on what more can be done to prevent such a situation. Can there be even more sampling? But that could give a false sense of security, and the issue is more complex than that, says Katharina Gielen.

• The industry is also working on biosecurity and infection control.

Why Eggs Were Recalled So Late

Generally, Sweden is described as having a favorable salmonella situation. This means we have relatively few cases.

• But every case is too many. It should really be zero, but we are dealing with biology, and salmonella exists in the environment, so sometimes it happens.

Mainly, Sweden's salmonella control works well, according to Katharina Gielen.

But how can it be that it took so long from when you took samples to when eggs were recalled? It took eight days. (Eggs were recalled on August 27, editor's note.)

• It's the food legislation that regulates what obligations a company has. It's common to wait for what is called sequencing, that is, knowing what type of salmonella it is. Not all salmonella types mean that the eggs are recalled.