Denmark links Campylobacter outbreaks to chicken

Two Campylobacter outbreaks in Denmark have been traced to Danish chicken meat.

Between July 14 and Sept. 13, the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) registered two outbreaks of Campylobacter jejuni with 57 patients. Sick people ranged in age from 2 to 89 years old and come from all over the country. About half of the patients have been hospitalized.

The SSI estimates that several hundred people may be infected. Only a small proportion of cases are subtyped, which means the actual number of people ill in outbreaks is likely to be much higher. 

A previous update reported that two outbreaks had 20 and 12 patients, respectively.

One of the outbreaks now has 40 patients and the other has 17. A total of 30 men and 27 women are confirmed ill.

Contaminated chicken
Campylobacter is the top cause of bacterial infections in Denmark and chicken is the most frequent source of cases. In 2024, seven of 10 outbreaks were linked to chicken meat. A total of 5,546 cases were reported, up from 5,186 in 2023.

“The same sequence types that we found in patients in the two outbreaks have also been detected in Danish chicken,” said Luise Müller, from the SSI.

The outbreaks are being investigated by the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark, Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen), and the SSI.

The SSI is responsible for whole genome sequencing Campylobacter isolates from patients and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration leads the examination of samples from products and the environment. Positive human samples are compared with any positives from products and the environment. This led to the identification of Danish chicken as the source of infection in the outbreaks.

There has also been a general increase, as since the end of July, more cases have been reported compared to the same period in previous years.

“Be extra careful when preparing chicken – both in the kitchen and on the grill. Raw meat juice dripping onto a salad, for example, can be enough to make the whole family sick,” said Sørine Quaade Møller, from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.

Advice to avoid getting sick includes washing hands after touching raw meat, thoroughly cooking meat, changing or washing the cutting board after using it for raw meat, and disposing of used food packaging.

“These new outbreaks emphasize that Campylobacter continues to be a challenge for food safety. It is important that producers are good at infection control and that hygiene is optimal in slaughterhouses,” said Marianne Sandberg, senior researcher at the National Food Institute.

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