Eggs linked to Swedish Salmonella outbreak

Health officials in Sweden suspect contaminated eggs are behind a Salmonella outbreak in the country.

Seven people from four regions are infected with a type of Salmonella Enteritidis that has previously been found in laying hens and in outbreaks associated with contaminated eggs.

Interviews with sick people indicate that illnesses may be linked to the consumption of eggs that were recalled in late August.

The outbreak comes amid a significant Salmonella outbreak in the United States that has been traced to eggs. In the U.S. outbreak 95 people have been sickened. The eggs in the U.S and Swedish outbreaks are not from the same supplier, but they underline the problems associated with eggs and Salmonella exposure.

Axfood, ICA, Lidl, and Kronägg issued egg recalls in Sweden. Axfood said it recalled eggs after the producer discovered Salmonella in the environment where eggs were laid during a routine check. Affected eggs are stamped with code 2SE684-35 and SE007 on the package. Certain packs have best before dates up to Sept. 11, 2025.

According to regional authorities, there are more Salmonella-infected people who may have eaten the recalled eggs. These cases could be added to the outbreak total, based on results of confirmatory microbiological typing of the Salmonella isolates at Folkhälsomyndigheten (the Public Health Agency of Sweden). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that for every confirmed patient in a Salmonella outbreak there are 29 who go undetected. This is because some people do not seek medical treatment and others are not specifically tested for Salmonella infection.

An investigation is being carried out including regional infectious disease control units, county administrative boards, the Swedish Board of Agriculture, the Swedish Veterinary Agency, the Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket) and Folkhälsomyndigheten.

In 2024, outbreaks of Salmonella led to the highest incidence of cases infected in Sweden since 2010. Whole genome sequencing identified six major outbreaks with 10 or more patients. The number of infections increased by more than 20 percent to 1,612.

Continuing Campylobacter problem
In mid-August 2025, Swedish health officials also said the number of people infected with Campylobacter also continues to be at a high level.

From mid-July to Aug.10, 751 illnesses were recorded. Most cases were reported from July 21 to 27 when more than 200 people fell sick. At the beginning of August, the number of cases per week decreased slightly and from Aug. 4 to 10, when 180 infections were reported.

Patients are from all regions in the country and the increase during July and August is consistent with previous years.

The same seasonal variation with increased incidence of Campylobacter in domestic broiler chickens is usually seen annually, but this year the rate has been lower than previous years.

Improperly handled or insufficiently cooked chicken meat is a common cause of infection. People are advised to wash hands with soap and water, separate raw chicken meat from other foods and cook chicken thoroughly. Other sources include direct contact with animals and drinking unpasteurized milk or contaminated water.

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