Abstract
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) annual report, human salmonellosis is mostly related to consumption of contaminated poultry products. Since 2003 in Europe, the Salmonella serovars considered relevant for human health and subject to control in breeding hens of Gallus gallus are: S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium (including the monophasic variant), S. Infantis, S. Hadar and S. Virchow. Herein, we investigated the Italian epidemiological situation from 2016 to 2018, comparing Salmonella serovar distributions in humans and poultry, in order to identify the target Salmonella serovars that, if controlled, would potentially have the largest public health impact in Italy. The results showed that control of S. Virchow and S. Hadar does no longer seem to be a priority in Italy and that S. Napoli and S. Derby, which are not included in the group of EU target serovars, are among the most frequent serovars isolated from humans in Italy. While S. Derby has its main reservoir in pigs, S. Napoli does not have a specific reservoir. However, because this serovar is frequently isolated from breeding poultry flocks and is characterised by causing severe human illness, it is a potential target Salmonella serovar in breeding hens of Gallus gallus in Italy.
Highlights
Salmonellosis is the second most common foodborne infection in Europe, with over 90 000 confirmed human cases per year, but in Italy, according to the reporting system in place, it is the most common foodborne infection, with more than 3500 human cases reported per year [1]
Food products derived from poultry, eggs mostly, are the types of food more frequently implicated in salmonellosis foodborne outbreaks [1], and Regulation (CE) 2160/2003 was implemented with the aim of reducing human exposure to contaminated food
According to this Regulation, Member States (MSs) have to put in place national control programmes (NCPs) aiming to meet the target of 1% prevalence in Gallus gallus breeding flocks for target Salmonella serovars that are considered relevant for public health
Summary
Salmonellosis is the second most common foodborne infection in Europe, with over 90 000 confirmed human cases per year, but in Italy, according to the reporting system in place, it is the most common foodborne infection, with more than 3500 human cases reported per year [1]. On 16 January 2019, EFSA published a Scientific Opinion on ‘Salmonella control in poultry flocks and its public health impact’ that evaluated the impact on human salmonellosis cases if the conventional EU targets for Salmonella in breeding hens were to be changed. During the three years under observation (2016–2018), the flock-level prevalences of Salmonella in breeding hens of Gallus gallus (both in laying and rearing phases) in Italy were 0.9% in 2016, 2.6% in 2017 and 1.8% in 2018.
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