Mixed signals from UK Salmonella and Campylobacter data

Salmonella and Campylobacter infections in England declined in the second quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2024.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows there were 18,677 confirmed laboratory reports of Campylobacter and 2,342 of Salmonella in Q2 2025. From April to June 2024, 19,372 Campylobacter and 2,387 Salmonella infections were recorded.

However, if figures are compared with the first quarter of 2025, infections have increased. From January to March, 15,997 Campylobacter and 1,591 Salmonella cases were reported.

There was an increase of 22.7 percent in the number of Campylobacter reports in the second quarter of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023.

There was also a rise of 12.3 percent in Salmonella cases in Q2 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

Campylobacter lab reports increased from 60,055 in 2023 to 70,352 in all of 2024. Salmonella cases rose from 8,872 in 2023 to 10,388 in 2024.

In 2024, nine Campylobacter outbreaks were reported to UKHSA. They affected 122 people, of which 28 were laboratory-confirmed. The larger outbreaks were associated with liver or products containing chicken or lamb liver such as a pate or parfait.

Seven outbreaks of Salmonella occurred in 2024. They sickened 304 people, of which 280 were lab confirmed. Outbreaks were associated with different foods including eggs, tomatoes, and red meat products.

UK microbiology lab report
In other news, a report has been published covering operations at the UK’s National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for food microbiology between April 2024 and March 2025.

UKHSA provides the service for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS). It covers Listeria monocytogenes, coagulase-positive staphylococci, E. coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella and antimicrobial resistance.

An amendment to EU regulation will tighten the controls for businesses that cannot provide assurance that Listeria monocytogenes will remain below 100 colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g) throughout shelf-life. The current rule is for these companies to demonstrate absence of Listeria monocytogenes in 25-gram sample of ready-to-eat food at the end of production. The amendment extends the requirement of absence throughout shelf-life where companies cannot ensure growth will be under 100 cfu/g.

This will apply in the EU beginning July 1, 2026. However, in the UK, it will only affect Northern Ireland and firms that trade with the EU. The FSA has not yet said whether the regulation will be brought into UK law in the future.

The NRL responded to a query from an Official Laboratory (OL) regarding Listeria testing. The lab also received four requests to test products from food businesses, which were forwarded to the OL nearest the company.

An OL query was received on the revised UKHSA guidelines for assessing the microbiological safety of ready-to-eat foods placed on the market, which were published in September 2024.

In February 2025, the NRL organized a training workshop for its official laboratories on screening of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in food.

Proposed activities for April 2025 to March 2026 include meetings with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for AMR, Campylobacter and Salmonella; to meet with CEFAS for E. coli and Salmonella in shellfish topics; and liaise with Campden BRI to discuss and implement challenge testing activities.

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