Six sick in Norwegian Listeria outbreak

Half a dozen people have fallen sick in a Listeria outbreak in Norway.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) said there are six confirmed patients and all of them have been hospitalized.

Four patients had eaten products from the company Smalahovetunet Voss before they became ill. This includes smalahovesylte, rullepølse, and smalahove. Smalahovesylte is meat from a sheep’s head that is pressed and boiled and Rullepølse is a type of spiced meat roll. Smalahove is a traditional dish made using a sheep’s head.

Patients fell sick between January 2025 and January 2026 and are aged 60 to 90. Four are women and two are men. Four live in Vestland, while Østfold and Akershus have one case each.

Bacteria with the same genetic profile has been detected in patient samples. This indicates a common source of infection.

Final confirmation awaited
Potentially implicated meat and fish products from Smalahovetunet Voss have been recalled from the market. Ivar Løne AS is recalling Smalahovetunet Voss Smalahovesylte, Sylteflesk, Eldhusrøykt Rodlepylsa, Ribberull, Eldhusrøykt laks og aure, Spekenakke, Spekeflesk, Fenalår and Fårepylsa with packaging dates from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025.

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute has detected Listeria monocytogenes from an unopened package of rullepølse and an opened pack of sylte, both produced by Smalahovetunet Voss. Items were collected from the homes of two sick people. Sequencing of the samples is being done. They will be compared with patient samples to confirm the source of infection.

The person who was ill in January 2025 ate food from another manufacturer. This product was withdrawn. Further investigations are taking place to reveal whether there may be a common point between Smalahovetunet Voss and this company.

There have previously been large outbreaks traced to rullepølse in Denmark, and cases of illness in Norway linked to sylte and rullepølse.

In 2025, 43 cases of listeriosis were reported to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s Infectious Diseases Reporting System (MSIS). This is the highest amount ever reported in a single year. Most cases are sporadic and not associated with an outbreak.