Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am - sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREESee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy JOSHUA HAINING, NEWS REPORTER Published: 20:41 BST, 27 August 2026 | Updated: 21:09 BST, 27 August 2026
Nearly 500 people have been confirmed ill following a Salmonella outbreak linked to imported eggs, UK authorities have said.Salmonella cases have spiked by 25 per cent since July with 207 cases reported by The UK Health Security Agency last week alone.But the total number of cases has now hit 474 and two people have died since the outbreak including one Brit. Two new clusters of the infection have been identified as the cause of the recent spike, officials have saidHowever the outbreak is not just confined to the UK, Salmonella infections are being seen across Europe as seven countries are now affected by the outbreak.There have been 106 reported cases of Salmonella in the Netherlands, 15 in Belgium, six in Germany and four cases in France.Two cases of Salmonella have also been reported in Austria while there is just one case in Denmark.UK Health chiefs believe 'imported eggs' is to blame for the crisis but investigations in the Netherlands have linked the outbreak to chicken meat and not eggs. Salmonella infections are up 25 per cent on previous figures, with many infections likely to have occurred in recent weeks The bacteria is most commonly found in a number of food sources such as raw or undercooked meat, poultry and eggs.Salmonella symptoms include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, severe dehydration, blood poisoning, organ failure and, in the most severe cases, death.Fortunately, most people who take ill often make a full recovery without requiring additional help or medical attention.Since the outbreak began, the majority of cases have been recorded across London, Yorkshire and the Humber.Although some cases have been reported in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.According to the UKHSA, cases in Britain have been linked to eating out 'from small cafes, restaurants and takeaway businesses'.Despite the rise in Salmonella cases, health officials maintain that the risk to the general public from Salmonella remains low. Hannah Charles, lead epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: 'We continue to work with the FSA and other public health agencies to investigate these salmonella clusters in the UK. It's important to emphasise that the overall risk to the general public remains low.
