More than 50 people fell ill across the United Kingdom as part of a Salmonella outbreak in 2024.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) investigated a cluster of Salmonella Blockley infections identified through the analysis of whole genome sequencing (WGS) data.

An Incident Management Team including Public Health Scotland, Public Health Wales, and the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland, with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) held their first meeting in September 2024.

Up to September 2024, 54 cases were reported. This included 36 sick people in England, seven in Wales and 11 in Scotland, with sample dates ranging between July 27 and Aug. 24, 2024.

Ten people hospitalized; source unknown
Patients ranged in age from 2 to 85 with a median age of 57 years old. The most affected group with 13 cases was those aged 50 to 59. Ten of 21 people with information available were hospitalized.

UKHSA said a national level investigation was opened because of the number of patients, the apparent population at risk being mainly older than 50, and the suspicion of an internationally distributed vehicle of infection.

According to UKHSA, there is no indication of travel before illness. Genetically similar isolates of Salmonella Blockley have been identified in one European country with possible cases in another country.

The agency said this indicates the involvement of an international supply chain. The source of the outbreak is unknown but patients have been interviewed.

Experts from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said there has been no related assessment at European level. However, there was an increase in Salmonella Blockley cases in 2023 with 83, the most reported in the past 10 years. It is not known if this rise is associated with the outbreak in the UK.

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