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LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES

Efsa European Food Safety Authority, Corinne Danan, Adrien Asséré

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Efsa European Food Safety Authority, Corinne Danan, Adrien Asséré. LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES. The European Union One Health 2023 Zoonoses report, 22 (12), 2024, 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.9106. anses-04965281

HAL Id: anses-04965281

https://anses.hal.science/anses-04965281v1

Submitted on 25 Feb 2025

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# The European Union One Health 2023 Zoonoses report

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) | European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
(ECDC)

Correspondence: zoonoses@efsa.europa.eu

The declarations of interest of all scientific experts active in EFSA's work are available at https://open.efsa.europa.eu/experts

## Abstract

This report by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control presents the results of zoonoses monitoring and surveillance activities carried out in 2023 in 27 Member States (MSs), the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) and 10 non-MSs. Key statistics on zoonoses and zoonotic agents in humans, food, animals and feed are provided and interpreted historically. In 2023, the first and second most reported zoonoses in humans were campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis, respectively. For both agents, an increase in the absolute number of cases was observed in comparison with 2022. Fifteen MSs and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) reached all the established targets in poultry populations with regard to the reduction in *Salmonella* prevalence for the relevant serovars. *Salmonella* samples from carcases of various animal species, and samples for *Campylobacter* quantification from broiler carcases, were more frequently positive when performed by the competent authorities than when own-checks were conducted. Shiga toxin-producing *Escherichia coli* (STEC) was the third most reported zoonotic agent in humans, followed by *Yersinia enterocolitica* and *Listeria monocytogenes*. *L. monocytogenes* and West Nile virus infections were the most severe zoonotic diseases, with the highest percentage of hospitalisations among cases and the highest case fatality rates. Twenty-seven MSs and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) reported a slight decrease in food-borne outbreaks in 2023 overall in comparison with 2022, although the overall number of reported human cases and hospitalisations increased. *Salmonella* Enteritidis remained the most frequently reported causative agent for reported cases and food-borne outbreaks. *Salmonella* in 'eggs and egg products' was the agent/food pair of most concern. In 2023 this combination caused the largest number of outbreaks and cases among all agent/food combination and ranked second in number of hospitalisations. *Salmonella* was also the causative agent associated with the majority of multi-country outbreaks reported in the EU in 2023. This report also provides updates on brucellosis, echinococcosis, Q fever, rabies, toxoplasmosis, trichinellosis, tuberculosis due to *Mycobacterium bovis* or *M. caprae*, and tularaemia.

## KEYWORDS

*Campylobacter*, food-borne outbreaks, *Listeria*, monitoring, parasites, *Salmonella*, West Nile, zoonoses

<footnote>This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and no modifications or adaptations are made.</footnote>

<footnote>© 2024 European Food Safety Authority. *EFSA Journal* published by Wiley-VCH GmbH on behalf of European Food Safety Authority.</footnote>
CONTENTS

<table><tr><td>Abstract</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Introduction</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>Legal basis of European Union-coordinated zoonoses monitoring</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>Reporting requirements</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>Terms of reference</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>Data sources and report production</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>Data analysis and presentation</td><td>14</td></tr><tr><td>Summary of human zoonoses data for 2023</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td>Comparison of human zoonoses data for 2022 and 2023</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>Zoonoses and zoonotic agents included in compulsory annual monitoring (Directive 2003/99/EC list A)</td><td>19</td></tr><tr><td>1. Campylobacter</td><td>19</td></tr><tr><td>1.1. Key facts</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td>1.2. Surveillance and monitoring of Campylobacter in the EU</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td>1.2.1. Humans</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td>1.2.2. Food and animals</td><td>21</td></tr><tr><td>1.3. Data analyses</td><td>21</td></tr><tr><td>1.4. Results</td><td>22</td></tr><tr><td>1.4.1. Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019–2023</td><td>22</td></tr><tr><td>1.4.2. Human campylobacteriosis</td><td>22</td></tr><tr><td>1.4.3. Campylobacter in food</td><td>24</td></tr><tr><td>1.4.4. Campylobacter in animals</td><td>27</td></tr><tr><td>1.4.5. Occurrence of Campylobacter in animals based on data from harmonised monitoring of antimicrobial resistance (Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1729)</td><td>27</td></tr><tr><td>1.5. Discussion</td><td>28</td></tr><tr><td>2. Salmonella</td><td>30</td></tr><tr><td>2.1. Key facts</td><td>31</td></tr><tr><td>2.2. Surveillance and monitoring of Salmonella in the EU</td><td>31</td></tr><tr><td>2.2.1. Humans</td><td>31</td></tr><tr><td>2.2.2. Food, animals and feed</td><td>32</td></tr><tr><td>2.3. Data analyses</td><td>32</td></tr><tr><td>2.3.1. Comparison between competent authority and food business operator sampling results</td><td>32</td></tr><tr><td>2.3.2. Statistical trend analyses for poultry monitoring data</td><td>33</td></tr><tr><td>2.3.3. Descriptive analyses of Salmonella serovars</td><td>33</td></tr><tr><td>2.4. Results</td><td>33</td></tr><tr><td>2.4.1. Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019–2023</td><td>33</td></tr><tr><td>2.4.2. Human salmonellosis</td><td>35</td></tr><tr><td>2.4.3. Salmonella in food</td><td>37</td></tr><tr><td>2.4.4. Salmonella in animals</td><td>45</td></tr><tr><td>2.4.5. Salmonella in feed</td><td>54</td></tr><tr><td>2.4.6. Salmonella serovars in humans, food and animals</td><td>55</td></tr><tr><td>2.5. Discussion</td><td>61</td></tr><tr><td>3. Listeria monocytogenes</td><td>62</td></tr><tr><td>3.1. Key facts</td><td>63</td></tr><tr><td>3.2. Surveillance and monitoring of Listeria monocytogenes in the EU</td><td>63</td></tr><tr><td>3.2.1. Humans</td><td>63</td></tr><tr><td>3.2.2. Food, animals and feed</td><td>64</td></tr><tr><td>3.3. Data analyses</td><td>64</td></tr></table>
<table><tbody><tr><td>3.3.1.</td><td>Data on RTE foods in the context of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005</td><td>64</td></tr><tr><td>3.3.2.</td><td>Monitoring data assessing <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> occurrence in RTE foods</td><td>65</td></tr><tr><td>3.3.3.</td><td>Monitoring data for <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> in animals and feed</td><td>65</td></tr><tr><td>3.4.</td><td>Results</td><td>65</td></tr><tr><td>3.4.1.</td><td>Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019–2023</td><td>65</td></tr><tr><td>3.4.2.</td><td>Human listeriosis</td><td>67</td></tr><tr><td>3.4.3.</td><td><i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> in RTE food</td><td>69</td></tr><tr><td>3.4.4.</td><td><i>Listeria</i> spp. in animals</td><td>72</td></tr><tr><td>3.5.</td><td>Discussion</td><td>72</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>Shiga toxin-producing <i>Escherichia coli</i> (STEC)</td><td>74</td></tr><tr><td>4.1.</td><td>Key facts</td><td>75</td></tr><tr><td>4.2.</td><td>Surveillance and monitoring of STEC infections in the EU</td><td>75</td></tr><tr><td>4.2.1.</td><td>Humans</td><td>75</td></tr><tr><td>4.2.2.</td><td>Food and animals</td><td>75</td></tr><tr><td>4.3.</td><td>Data analyses</td><td>76</td></tr><tr><td>4.3.1.</td><td>Occurrence in food and animals</td><td>76</td></tr><tr><td>4.3.2.</td><td>Serogroups and virulence features in food and animals</td><td>76</td></tr><tr><td>4.4.</td><td>Results</td><td>76</td></tr><tr><td>4.4.1.</td><td>Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019–2023</td><td>76</td></tr><tr><td>4.4.2.</td><td>STEC infections in humans</td><td>77</td></tr><tr><td>4.4.3.</td><td>STEC in food</td><td>79</td></tr><tr><td>4.4.4.</td><td>STEC in animals</td><td>81</td></tr><tr><td>4.4.5.</td><td>Focus on STEC strain features: Virulence genes and serogroups</td><td>81</td></tr><tr><td>4.5.</td><td>Discussion</td><td>82</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>Infection with <i>Mycobacterium</i> tuberculosis complex (focusing on <i>Mycobacterium bovis</i> and <i>Mycobacterium caprae</i>)</td><td>84</td></tr><tr><td>5.1.</td><td>Key facts</td><td>84</td></tr><tr><td>5.2.</td><td>Surveillance and monitoring of tuberculosis due to <i>Mycobacterium bovis</i> or <i>Mycobacterium caprae</i> in the EU</td><td>85</td></tr><tr><td>5.2.1.</td><td>Humans</td><td>85</td></tr><tr><td>5.2.2.</td><td>Animals</td><td>85</td></tr><tr><td>5.3.</td><td>Results</td><td>86</td></tr><tr><td>5.3.1.</td><td>Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019–2023</td><td>86</td></tr><tr><td>5.3.2.</td><td>Tuberculosis due to <i>Mycobacterium bovis</i> or <i>Mycobacterium caprae</i> in humans</td><td>87</td></tr><tr><td>5.3.3.</td><td><i>Mycobacterium</i> in food</td><td>89</td></tr><tr><td>5.3.4.</td><td>Tuberculosis in bovine animals</td><td>89</td></tr><tr><td>5.3.5.</td><td><i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> complex surveillance data from animals other than bovine animals</td><td>90</td></tr><tr><td>5.4.</td><td>Discussion</td><td>91</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td><i>Brucella</i></td><td>92</td></tr><tr><td>6.1.</td><td>Key facts</td><td>92</td></tr><tr><td>6.2.</td><td>Surveillance and monitoring of <i>Brucella</i> in the EU</td><td>93</td></tr><tr><td>6.2.1.</td><td>Humans</td><td>93</td></tr><tr><td>6.2.2.</td><td>Food and animals</td><td>93</td></tr><tr><td>6.3.</td><td>Results</td><td>94</td></tr><tr><td>6.3.1.</td><td>Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019–2023</td><td>94</td></tr><tr><td>6.3.2.</td><td>Human brucellosis</td><td>95</td></tr><tr><td>6.3.3.</td><td><i>Brucella</i> in food</td><td>97</td></tr><tr><td>6.3.4.</td><td><i>Brucella</i> in animals</td><td>97</td></tr><tr><td>6.4.</td><td>Discussion</td><td>100</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td><i>Trichinella</i></td><td>101</td></tr><tr><td>7.1.</td><td>Key facts</td><td>102</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><tbody><tr><td>7.2.</td><td>Surveillance and monitoring of Trichinella in the EU</td><td>102</td></tr><tr><td>7.2.1.</td><td>Humans</td><td>102</td></tr><tr><td>7.2.2.</td><td>Animals</td><td>102</td></tr><tr><td>7.3.</td><td>Results</td><td>103</td></tr><tr><td>7.3.1.</td><td>Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019–2023</td><td>103</td></tr><tr><td>7.3.2.</td><td>Human trichinellosis</td><td>103</td></tr><tr><td>7.3.3.</td><td>Trichinella in food and animals</td><td>106</td></tr><tr><td>7.4.</td><td>Discussion</td><td>107</td></tr><tr><td>8.</td><td>Echinococcus</td><td>109</td></tr><tr><td>8.1.</td><td>Key facts</td><td>109</td></tr><tr><td>8.2.</td><td>Surveillance and monitoring of cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in humans and animals in the EU</td><td>109</td></tr><tr><td>8.2.1.</td><td>Humans</td><td>109</td></tr><tr><td>8.2.2.</td><td>Animals</td><td>110</td></tr><tr><td>8.3.</td><td>Results</td><td>110</td></tr><tr><td>8.3.1.</td><td>Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019–2023</td><td>110</td></tr><tr><td>8.3.2.</td><td>Human echinococcosis</td><td>111</td></tr><tr><td>8.3.3.</td><td>Echinococcus spp. in animals and food</td><td>113</td></tr><tr><td>8.4.</td><td>Discussion</td><td>116</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Food-borne outbreaks (in accordance with Directive 2003/99/EC)</td><td>117</td></tr><tr><td>1.</td><td>Key facts</td><td>117</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>Surveillance and monitoring of food-borne outbreaks in the EU</td><td>117</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>Data analyses</td><td>118</td></tr><tr><td>4.</td><td>Results and discussion</td><td>119</td></tr><tr><td>4.1.</td><td>Overview of countries reporting food-borne outbreak data, 2023</td><td>119</td></tr><tr><td>4.2.</td><td>Overview of causative agents in food-borne outbreaks in 2023</td><td>126</td></tr><tr><td>4.2.1.</td><td>Bacteria</td><td>126</td></tr><tr><td>4.2.2.</td><td>Bacterial toxins</td><td>128</td></tr><tr><td>4.2.3.</td><td>Viruses</td><td>131</td></tr><tr><td>4.2.4.</td><td>Parasites</td><td>131</td></tr><tr><td>4.2.5.</td><td>Other causative agents</td><td>132</td></tr><tr><td>4.2.6.</td><td>Outbreaks caused by unknown/unspecified agents</td><td>132</td></tr><tr><td>4.3.</td><td>Overview of food vehicles implicated in food-borne outbreaks in 2023</td><td>133</td></tr><tr><td>4.3.1.</td><td>Food vehicles in strong-evidence outbreaks</td><td>133</td></tr><tr><td>4.3.2.</td><td>Suspect foods in weak-evidence outbreaks</td><td>138</td></tr><tr><td>4.3.3.</td><td>Top-10 agent/food pairs in strong-evidence outbreaks associated with the highest impact on health in the EU</td><td>138</td></tr><tr><td>4.4.</td><td>Overview of the places of exposure in strong-evidence outbreaks in 2023</td><td>144</td></tr><tr><td>4.5.</td><td>Contributing factors in strong-evidence food-borne outbreaks in 2023</td><td>146</td></tr><tr><td>4.6.</td><td>Temporal trends by causative agents, 2014–2023</td><td>146</td></tr><tr><td>4.6.1.</td><td>Temporal trends at EU level</td><td>146</td></tr><tr><td>4.6.2.</td><td>Temporal country-specific trends by causative agent</td><td>147</td></tr><tr><td>4.6.3.</td><td>Temporal trends by implicated food vehicle</td><td>148</td></tr><tr><td>4.7.</td><td>Water-borne outbreaks</td><td>148</td></tr><tr><td>4.8.</td><td>ECDC and EFSA rapid outbreak assessment (ROA)</td><td>148</td></tr><tr><td>5.</td><td>Conclusions</td><td>149</td></tr><tr><td>5.1.</td><td>Health impact, causative agents and trends</td><td>149</td></tr><tr><td>5.2.</td><td>Food vehicles and places of exposure</td><td>150</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Zoonoses and zoonotic agents monitored according to the epidemiological situation (Directive 2003/99/EC list B)</td><td>151</td></tr><tr><td>1.</td><td>Yersinia</td><td>151</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><tbody><tr><td>1.1. Key facts</td><td>152</td></tr><tr><td>1.2. Surveillance and monitoring of Yersinia in the EU</td><td>152</td></tr><tr><td>1.2.1. Humans</td><td>152</td></tr><tr><td>1.2.2. Food and animals</td><td>152</td></tr><tr><td>1.3. Results</td><td>153</td></tr><tr><td>1.3.1. Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019-2023</td><td>153</td></tr><tr><td>1.3.2. Human yersiniosis</td><td>153</td></tr><tr><td>1.3.3. Yersinia in food</td><td>155</td></tr><tr><td>1.3.4. Yersinia in animals</td><td>156</td></tr><tr><td>1.4. Discussion</td><td>156</td></tr><tr><td>2. Toxoplasma gondii</td><td>157</td></tr><tr><td>2.1. Key facts</td><td>157</td></tr><tr><td>2.2. Surveillance and monitoring of Toxoplasma in the EU</td><td>157</td></tr><tr><td>2.2.1. Humans</td><td>157</td></tr><tr><td>2.2.2. Animals and food</td><td>158</td></tr><tr><td>2.3. Results</td><td>158</td></tr><tr><td>2.3.1. Human congenital toxoplasmosis</td><td>158</td></tr><tr><td>2.3.2. Toxoplasma gondii in food and animals</td><td>159</td></tr><tr><td>2.4. Discussion</td><td>160</td></tr><tr><td>3. Rabies</td><td>161</td></tr><tr><td>3.1. Key facts</td><td>161</td></tr><tr><td>3.2. Surveillance and monitoring of rabies in the EU</td><td>162</td></tr><tr><td>3.2.1. Humans</td><td>162</td></tr><tr><td>3.2.2. Animals</td><td>162</td></tr><tr><td>3.3. Results</td><td>162</td></tr><tr><td>3.3.1. Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019-2023</td><td>162</td></tr><tr><td>3.3.2. Humans</td><td>164</td></tr><tr><td>3.3.3. Animals</td><td>164</td></tr><tr><td>3.4. Discussion</td><td>168</td></tr><tr><td>4. Q fever</td><td>169</td></tr><tr><td>4.1. Key facts</td><td>169</td></tr><tr><td>4.2. Surveillance and monitoring of Coxiella burnetii in the EU</td><td>170</td></tr><tr><td>4.2.1. Humans</td><td>170</td></tr><tr><td>4.2.2. Animals</td><td>170</td></tr><tr><td>4.3. Results</td><td>170</td></tr><tr><td>4.3.1. Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019-2023</td><td>170</td></tr><tr><td>4.3.2. Coxiella burnetii in humans</td><td>172</td></tr><tr><td>4.3.3. Coxiella burnetii in animals</td><td>174</td></tr><tr><td>4.4. Discussion</td><td>175</td></tr><tr><td>5. West Nile virus</td><td>176</td></tr><tr><td>5.1. Key facts</td><td>176</td></tr><tr><td>5.2. Surveillance and monitoring of West Nile virus in the EU</td><td>177</td></tr><tr><td>5.2.1. Humans</td><td>177</td></tr><tr><td>5.2.2. Animals</td><td>177</td></tr><tr><td>5.3. Results</td><td>177</td></tr><tr><td>5.3.1. Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019-2023</td><td>177</td></tr><tr><td>5.3.2. West Nile virus infections in humans</td><td>178</td></tr><tr><td>5.3.3. West Nile virus infections in animals</td><td>180</td></tr><tr><td>5.3.4. Joint analysis of seasonality</td><td>181</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><tbody><tr><td>5.4.</td><td>Discussion</td><td>182</td></tr><tr><td>6.</td><td>Tularemia</td><td>182</td></tr><tr><td>6.1.</td><td>Key facts</td><td>182</td></tr><tr><td>6.2.</td><td>Surveillance and monitoring of tularemia in the EU</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>6.2.1.</td><td>Humans</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>6.2.2.</td><td>Animals</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>6.3.</td><td>Results</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>6.3.1.</td><td>Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019–2023</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>6.3.2.</td><td>Tularaemia in humans</td><td>184</td></tr><tr><td>6.3.3.</td><td>Tularaemia in animals</td><td>185</td></tr><tr><td>6.4.</td><td>Discussion</td><td>185</td></tr><tr><td>7.</td><td>Other zoonoses and zoonotic agents</td><td>186</td></tr><tr><td>7.1.</td><td>Bacillus spp.</td><td>186</td></tr><tr><td>7.2.</td><td>Caliciviruses (including norovirus)</td><td>186</td></tr><tr><td>7.3.</td><td>Chlamydia spp.</td><td>186</td></tr><tr><td>7.4.</td><td>Clostridium spp.</td><td>186</td></tr><tr><td>7.5.</td><td>Hepatitis virus</td><td>187</td></tr><tr><td>7.6.</td><td>Proteus spp.</td><td>187</td></tr><tr><td>7.7.</td><td>Staphylococcus spp.</td><td>187</td></tr><tr><td>7.8.</td><td>Cysticercus spp.</td><td>187</td></tr><tr><td>7.9.</td><td>Leishmania</td><td>187</td></tr><tr><td>7.10.</td><td>Sarcocystis spp.</td><td>187</td></tr><tr><td>7.11.</td><td>Other</td><td>188</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Microbiological contaminants subject to food safety criteria (Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005)</td><td>188</td></tr><tr><td>1.</td><td>Histamine</td><td>188</td></tr><tr><td>1.1.</td><td>Histamine data in the context of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005</td><td>188</td></tr><tr><td>1.2.</td><td>Other surveillance, monitoring or outbreak investigation data for histamine</td><td>189</td></tr><tr><td>2.</td><td>Staphylococcal enterotoxins</td><td>190</td></tr><tr><td>2.1.</td><td>Staphylococcal enterotoxin data in the context of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005</td><td>190</td></tr><tr><td>2.2.</td><td>Other surveillance data for staphylococcal enterotoxins</td><td>190</td></tr><tr><td>3.</td><td>Cronobacter sakazakii</td><td>190</td></tr><tr><td>3.1.</td><td>Cronobacter sakazakii data in the context of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005</td><td>190</td></tr><tr><td>3.2.</td><td>Other surveillance data for Cronobacter sakazakii</td><td>190</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Key definitions</td><td>191</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Abbreviations</td><td>192</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Country codes</td><td>193</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">EU Member States</td><td>193</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">EU non-MS counties</td><td>194</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Acknowledgements</td><td>194</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Requestor</td><td>194</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Question number</td><td>194</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Amendment</td><td>194</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Copyright for non-EFSA content</td><td>194</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Map disclaimer</td><td>194</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">References</td><td>195</td></tr></tbody></table>
LIST OF FIGURES

<table><tr><td>Figure 1</td><td>Trend in reported confirmed human cases of campylobacteriosis in the EU, by month, 2019–2023.</td><td>24</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 2</td><td>Trend in reported confirmed human cases of non-typhoidal salmonellosis in the EU by month, 2018–2022.</td><td>36</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 3</td><td>Prevalence of poultry flocks (breeding flocks of Gallus gallus, laying hens, broilers, breeding turkeys and fattening turkeys) positive for target <i>Salmonella</i> serovars, EU MSs and non-MS countries, 2023</td><td>45</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 4</td><td>Trend in the estimated prevalence of poultry flocks positive for <i>Salmonella</i> spp. and target <i>Salmonella</i> serovars, at EU level for different poultry populations, 2007–2023.</td><td>53</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 5</td><td>Trends in EU level prevalence of target <i>Salmonella</i> serovars (Target)-positive or <i>Salmonella</i> spp. (Spp.)-positive flocks of poultry populations (2007–2023 and 2019–2023).</td><td>54</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 6</td><td>Trend in reported confirmed human cases of S. Enteritidis infections acquired in the EU, by month, 2019–2023.</td><td>56</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 7</td><td>Sankey diagram of the distribution of the top four EU-level <i>Salmonella</i> serovars involved in human salmonellosis cases acquired in the EU, reported from specified food-animal categories, by food-animal source, EU, 2023.</td><td>57</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 8</td><td>Overview of <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> testing of ‘ready-to-eat’ food along the food chain according to the sampling stage, the sampler and the objective of the sampling, EU, 2023.</td><td>67</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 9</td><td>Trend in reported confirmed human cases of listeriosis in the EU by month, 2019–2023.</td><td>69</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 10</td><td>Trend in reported confirmed human cases of STEC infection in the EU by month, 2014–2023.</td><td>79</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 11</td><td>Map of the number of confirmed tuberculosis cases due to <i>Mycobacterium bovis</i> or <i>Mycobacterium caprae</i> in individuals of EU origin, and national herd prevalence of tuberculosis in the bovine animal population in EU MS and non-MS countries, 2023.</td><td>88</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 12</td><td>Prevalence of cattle herds infected with the <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> complex in disease-free status (DFS) zones, EU, 2014–2023.</td><td>89</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 13</td><td>Prevalence of cattle herds positive for bovine tuberculosis in zones under an eradication programme (UEP), EU, 2014–2023.</td><td>90</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 14</td><td>Trend in reported confirmed human cases of brucellosis in the EU, by month, 2019–2023.</td><td>96</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 15</td><td>Number of confirmed, domestically acquired brucellosis cases in humans and national prevalence of <i>Brucella</i>-positive cattle herds and sheep and goat flocks, in EU MSs and non-MSs, 2023.</td><td>97</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 16</td><td>Prevalence of <i>Brucella</i>-positive cattle herds, in zones under an eradication programme, EU, 2014–2023. UEP, under an eradication programme.</td><td>98</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 17</td><td>Prevalence of <i>Brucella</i>-positive sheep and goat flocks, in zones under an eradication programme, EU, 2014–2023. UEP, under an eradication programme.</td><td>99</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 18</td><td>Number of confirmed human cases of trichinellosis in the EU by month and year, 2014–2023.</td><td>105</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 19</td><td>Relative variation (%) in foodborne outbreaks and outbreak-related cases reported in 2023 compared with 2022, by reporting country</td><td>123</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 20</td><td>Trends in the number of strong-evidence and weak-evidence outbreaks (left axis) and outbreak reporting rate (per 100,000 population) (right axis) in the EU and reporting EU MSs and non-MSs, 2014–2023.</td><td>124</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 21</td><td>Number of foodborne outbreaks by causative agent, reported to the EU by MSs, 2014–2023.</td><td>147</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 22</td><td>Trend in reported confirmed human cases of yersiniosis in the EU, by month, 2019–2023.</td><td>155</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 23</td><td>Number of tested and positive foxes in the framework of passive surveillance and the geographical distribution of the rabies cases reported in foxes in EU MSs and non-EU countries, 2023.</td><td>165</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 24</td><td>Number of tested and positive bats, and the geographical distribution of the rabies cases reported in bats in EU MSs and non-EU countries, 2023.</td><td>166</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 25</td><td>Number of tested and positive pets, and the geographical distribution of the rabies cases reported in pets in EU MSs and non-EU countries, 2023.</td><td>167</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 26</td><td>Number of tested and positive farmed animals, and the geographical distribution of the rabies cases reported in farmed animals in EU MSs and non-EU countries, 2023.</td><td>168</td></tr><tr><td>Figure 27</td><td>Trend in reported confirmed human cases of Q fever in the EU by month, 2019–2023.</td><td>174</td></tr></table>
Figure 28 Geographical distribution of locally acquired West Nile virus infections among humans (NUTS 3 level) and outbreaks notified to ADIS among equids and birds (X, Y coordinates) across the EU, 2023 transmission season 180

Figure 29 Reported locally acquired human cases of West Nile virus infection in EU MSs, by month, 2014–2023. 181

Figure 30 Reported locally acquired human cases of West Nile virus infection and outbreaks in birds and equids, in the EU, by month, 2019–2023. 181

Figure 31 Number of confirmed human cases of tularaemia in the EU, by month and year, 2014–2023. 185

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 Categorisation of the data used in the EU One Health Zoonoses 2023 Summary Report (adapted from Boelaert et al. (2016)). 14

Table 2 Reported hospitalisations and deaths due to zoonoses in confirmed human cases and among food-borne outbreak cases in the EU, 2023. 17

Table 3 Number of confirmed human cases and notification rates (per 100,000 population) in 2023, including the absolute and relative (%) difference as compared with 2022, by zoonosis, EU. 18

Table 4 Summary of *Campylobacter* statistics relating to humans, major food categories and the main animal species, EU, 2019–2023. 22

Table 5 Reported confirmed human cases of campylobacteriosis and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MSs and non-MS countries, by country and year, 2019–2023. 23

Table 6 Comparison of proportions (%) of samples exceeding the *Campylobacter* PHC limit collected from the neck skins of chilled broiler carcases sampled at slaughterhouses in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023. 26

Table 7 Summary of *Campylobacter* statistics relating to major animal species, reporting EU MSs and non-MS countries, 2023. 27

Table 8 Summary of *Salmonella* statistics relating to humans, major food categories and the main animal species, EU, 2019–2023. 33

Table 9 Reported confirmed human cases of salmonellosis and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MSs and non-MS countries, by country and year, 2019–2023. 35

Table 10 Proportion (%) of *Salmonella*-positive samples from official sampling as part of the verification of *Salmonella* FSC in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, by stage in the food chain, EU, 2023. 37

Table 11 Comparisons of proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive single samples from pig carcases after dressing, but before chilling, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023. 38

Table 12 Comparisons of proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive single samples from broiler carcases (neck skin samples) after chilling, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023. 39

Table 13 Comparisons of proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive single samples from turkey carcases (neck skin samples) after chilling, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023. 40

Table 14 Comparisons of proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive single samples from bovine carcases after dressing but before chilling, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023. 41

Table 15 Comparisons of proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive single samples from sheep carcases after dressing but before chilling, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023. 42

Table 16 Comparisons of proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive single samples from goat carcases after dressing but before chilling, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023. 43

Table 17 Comparisons of proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive single samples from horse carcases before chilling, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023. 44

Table 18 *Salmonella* in breeding flocks of *Gallus gallus* during the production period (all types of breeding flocks, flock-based data) in countries running control programmes in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003, 2023. 46

Table 19 *Salmonella* in laying hen flocks of *Gallus gallus* during the production period (flock-based data) in countries running control programmes in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003, 2023. 47

Table 20 *Salmonella* in broiler flocks of *Gallus gallus* before slaughter (flock-based data) in countries running control programmes in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003, 2023. 48
<table><tr><td>Table 21</td><td>Comparisons of the prevalence of target <i>Salmonella</i> serovar-positive broiler flocks, by sampler and by reporting MS, EU, 2023.</td><td>49</td></tr><tr><td>Table 22</td><td><i>Salmonella</i> in breeding flocks of turkeys during the production period (flock-based data) in countries running control programmes in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003, 2023.</td><td>50</td></tr><tr><td>Table 23</td><td>Comparisons of the prevalence of target <i>Salmonella</i> serovar-positive flocks of breeding turkeys, by sampler and by reporting MS, EU, 2023.</td><td>51</td></tr><tr><td>Table 24</td><td><i>Salmonella</i> in fattening flocks of turkeys before slaughter during the production period (flock-based data) in countries running control programmes in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003, 2023.</td><td>51</td></tr><tr><td>Table 25</td><td>Comparisons of the prevalence of target <i>Salmonella</i> serovar-positive flocks of fattening turkeys, by sampler and by reporting MS, EU, 2023.</td><td>52</td></tr><tr><td>Table 26</td><td>Distribution of reported cases of human salmonellosis acquired in the EU, 2021–2023, for the 20 most frequently reported serovars in 2023.</td><td>55</td></tr><tr><td>Table 27</td><td>Distribution of <i>Salmonella</i> isolates with and without serotype identification among the different selected sources (food and animals), EU, 2023.</td><td>56</td></tr><tr><td>Table 28</td><td>Distribution of the top 20 <i>Salmonella</i> serovars by food-animal source (laying hens, broilers, turkeys, pigs and bovine animals), EU, 2023.</td><td>59</td></tr><tr><td>Table 29</td><td><i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> FSC as described in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 for the different RTE categories across the food chain, 2023.</td><td>64</td></tr><tr><td>Table 30</td><td>Summary of <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> statistics relating to invasive human infections and major RTE food categories, EU, 2019–2023.</td><td>66</td></tr><tr><td>Table 31</td><td>Reported confirmed human cases of invasive listeriosis and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MS and non-MS countries, by country and year, 2019–2023.</td><td>67</td></tr><tr><td>Table 32</td><td>Proportions (%) of <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> positive single samples at the manufacturing and distribution stages from official sampling by CAs in the context of verification of implementation by FBOps of the <i>L. monocytogenes</i> FSC in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, EU, 2023.</td><td>70</td></tr><tr><td>Table 33</td><td>Summary of <i>Listeria</i> species statistics relating to major animal species, MSs, 2023.</td><td>72</td></tr><tr><td>Table 34</td><td>Summary of STEC statistics relating to humans, major food categories and the main animal species, EU, 2019–2023.</td><td>76</td></tr><tr><td>Table 35</td><td>Reported confirmed human cases of STEC and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MSs and non-MS countries, by country and year, 2019–2023.</td><td>77</td></tr><tr><td>Table 36</td><td>Virulotypes (stx type and presence of eae) identified in food, animal and human STEC isolates causing severe infection (haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS), hospitalisation and bloody diarrhoea) in 2023.</td><td>82</td></tr><tr><td>Table 37</td><td>Summary of tuberculosis due to <i>Mycobacterium</i> bovis and <i>Mycobacterium</i> caprae statistics relating to humans and bovine animals (stratified by disease status of MSs/ MS zones), EU, 2019–2023.</td><td>86</td></tr><tr><td>Table 38</td><td>Reported confirmed human cases of tuberculosis due to <i>Mycobacterium bovis</i> or <i>Mycobacterium caprae</i> and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MS and non-MS countries, by country and year, 2019–2023.</td><td>87</td></tr><tr><td>Table 39</td><td>Summary of Brucella statistics relating to humans, major food categories and animal species (stratified by status of disease of MSs/MS zones), EU, 2019–2023.</td><td>94</td></tr><tr><td>Table 40</td><td>Reported confirmed human cases of brucellosis and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MSs and non-MSs, by country and year, 2019–2023.</td><td>95</td></tr><tr><td>Table 41</td><td>Summary of <i>Trichinella</i> statistics relating to humans (2019–2023), domestic pigs (2022–2023) and other main animal species (2019–2023), EU.</td><td>103</td></tr><tr><td>Table 42</td><td>Reported confirmed human cases of trichinellosis and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MSs and non-MS countries, by country and year, 2019–2023.</td><td>104</td></tr><tr><td>Table 43</td><td>Positive <i>Trichinella</i> monitoring results for domestic pigs not raised under controlled housing conditions, in reporting EU MSs and non-MS countries, 2023.</td><td>106</td></tr><tr><td>Table 44</td><td><i>Trichinella</i> monitoring results for hunted wild boar and wild boar with unspecified habitat and foxes, in reporting EU MSs and non-MS countries, 2023.</td><td>107</td></tr><tr><td>Table 45</td><td>Summary statistics on echinococcosis caused by <i>Echinococcus multilocularis</i> and <i>Echinococcus granulosus</i> in humans and the most relevant definitive and intermediate animal hosts, EU, 2019–2023.</td><td>110</td></tr><tr><td>Table 46</td><td>Reported confirmed human cases of cystic and alveolar echinococcosis and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MSs and non-MSs, by country and year, 2019–2023.</td><td>111</td></tr></table>
<table><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Table 47</td><td>Reported human cases of cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in EU MSs and non-MSs by country, year and Echinococcus species, 2019–2023.</td><td>112</td></tr><tr><td>Table 48</td><td>Echinococcus multilocularis positive monitoring results in wild and domestic animals in reporting EU MSs and non-MSs, 2023.</td><td>114</td></tr><tr><td>Table 49</td><td>Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato positive monitoring results in wild and domestic animals in reporting EU MSs and non-MSs, 2023.</td><td>115</td></tr><tr><td>Table 50</td><td>Number of food-borne outbreaks, human cases, hospitalisations and deaths, in reporting EU MSs and non-MS countries, 2023.</td><td>121</td></tr><tr><td>Table 51</td><td>Number of food-borne outbreaks, human cases, hospitalisations and deaths, by causative agent, in reporting EU MSs, 2023.</td><td>129</td></tr><tr><td>Table 52</td><td>Frequency distribution of strong-evidence food-borne outbreaks, by food vehicle, in reporting EU MSs, in 2023.</td><td>134</td></tr><tr><td>Table 53</td><td>Top-10 pathogen/food vehicle pairs causing the highest number of strong-evidence outbreaks in reporting EU MSs, in 2023.</td><td>140</td></tr><tr><td>Table 54</td><td>Top-10 pathogen/food vehicle pairs causing the highest number of cases in strong-evidence outbreaks in reporting EU MSs, in 2023.</td><td>141</td></tr><tr><td>Table 55</td><td>Top-10 pathogen/food vehicle pairs causing the highest number of hospitalisations in strong-evidence outbreaks in reporting EU MSs, in 2023.</td><td>142</td></tr><tr><td>Table 56</td><td>Top-10 pathogen/food vehicle pairs causing the highest number of deaths in strong-evidence outbreaks in reporting EU MSs, in 2023.</td><td>143</td></tr><tr><td>Table 57</td><td>Frequency distribution of strong-evidence food-borne outbreaks by place of exposure (setting), in reporting EU MSs, 2023.</td><td>145</td></tr><tr><td>Table 58</td><td>Summary of Yersinia statistics relating to humans, major food categories and main animal species, EU, 2019–2023.</td><td>153</td></tr><tr><td>Table 59</td><td>Reported confirmed human cases of yersiniosis and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MSs and non-MS countries, by country and year, 2019–2023.</td><td>154</td></tr><tr><td>Table 60</td><td>Reported confirmed human cases of congenital toxoplasmosis and notification rates per 100,000 live births in EU MSs and non-MS countries, by country and year, 2018–2022.</td><td>158</td></tr><tr><td>Table 61</td><td>Summary of Toxoplasma gondii statistics in the main animal species at the individual level, EU, 2019–2023.</td><td>160</td></tr><tr><td>Table 62</td><td>Summary of rabies lyssavirus statistics relating to humans and the main animal reservoirs, EU, 2019–2023.</td><td>163</td></tr><tr><td>Table 63</td><td>Summary of Coxiella burnetii statistics relating to humans and the main animal species, EU, 2019–2023.</td><td>170</td></tr><tr><td>Table 64</td><td>Reported human cases of Q fever and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MSs and non-MS countries, by country and year, 2019–2023.</td><td>173</td></tr><tr><td>Table 65</td><td>Summary of West Nile virus (WNV) infection statistics relating to humans, birds and equids, EU, 2019–2023.</td><td>177</td></tr><tr><td>Table 66</td><td>Locally acquired human West Nile virus (WNV) infection cases (confirmed and probable) and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MSs and non-MS countries, by country and year, 2019–2023.</td><td>178</td></tr><tr><td>Table 67</td><td>Summary of Francisella tularensis statistics relating to humans and the main animal species, EU, 2019–2023.</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>Table 68</td><td>Reported confirmed human cases of tularaemia and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MSs and non-MS countries, by country and by year, 2019–2023.</td><td>184</td></tr></tbody></table>
# INTRODUCTION

## Legal basis of European Union-coordinated zoonoses monitoring

The European Union (EU) system for the monitoring and collection of information on zoonoses is based on Directive 2003/99/EC<fnref n="1" /> which obliges EU Member States (MSs) to collect relevant and, when applicable, comparable data on zoonoses, zoonotic agents, antimicrobial resistance and food-borne outbreaks (FBOs). In addition, MSs shall assess the trends and sources of these agents, as well as outbreaks in their territory, submitting an annual report each year by the end of May to the European Commission (EC) covering the data collected. The EC should subsequently forward these reports to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA is assigned the tasks of examining these data and publishing the EU Annual Summary Reports. In 2004, the EC entrusted EFSA with setting up an electronic reporting system and database for monitoring zoonoses (EFSA Mandate No 2004–0178, prolonged by M-2015-0231²).

Data collection on human diseases from MSs is conducted in accordance with Decision 1082/2013/EU<fnref n="3" /> on serious cross-border threats to health. In October 2013, this Decision replaced Decision 2119/98/EC on setting up a network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the EU. The case definitions to be followed when reporting data on infectious diseases to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) are described in Decision 2018/945/EU.<fnref n="4" /> ECDC has provided data on zoonotic infections in humans and their analysis for the EU Summary Reports since 2005. Since 2008, data on human cases have been received via The European Surveillance System (TESSy), maintained by ECDC.

## Reporting requirements

In accordance with List A, Annex I of Directive 2003/99/EC, data on animals, food and feed must be reported for the following eight zoonotic agents: *Salmonella*, *Campylobacter*, *Listeria monocytogenes*, *Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli* (STEC), *Mycobacterium bovis*,<fnref n="5" /> *Brucella*, *Trichinella* and *Echinococcus*. In addition, and based on the epidemiological situations in the MSs, data must be reported on the following agents and zoonoses (List B, Annex I of the Zoonoses Directive): (i) viral zoonoses: calicivirus, hepatitis A virus, influenza virus, rabies, viruses transmitted by arthropods; (ii) bacterial zoonoses: borreliosis and agents thereof, botulism and agents thereof, leptospirosis and agents thereof, psittacosis and agents thereof, tuberculosis due to agents other than *M. bovis*, vibriosis and agents thereof, yersiniosis and agents thereof; (iii) parasitic zoonoses: anisakiasis and agents thereof, cryptosporidiosis and agents thereof, cysticercosis and agents thereof, toxoplasmosis and agents thereof; and (iv) other zoonoses and zoonotic agents such as *Francisella* and *Sarcocystis*. Furthermore, MSs provided data on certain other microbiological contaminants in foods: histamine, staphylococcal enterotoxins and *Cronobacter sakazakii*, for which food safety criteria are set down in the EU legislation.

In accordance with Article 9 of the same Directive, MSs shall assess the trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and antimicrobial resistance in their territories, and each MS shall send to the EC, every year by the end of May, a report on the trends in and sources of, zoonoses, zoonotic agents and antimicrobial resistance. Reports, and any summaries of them, shall be made publicly available.

## Terms of Reference

In accordance with Article 9 of Directive 2003/99/EC, EFSA shall examine the national reports and data submitted by the EU MSs regarding their zoonoses monitoring activities as described above, and publish an EU Summary Report on the trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and antimicrobial resistance in the EU. Since 2019, the annual EU Summary Reports on zoonoses, zoonotic agents and foodborne outbreaks have been renamed the 'EU One Health Zoonoses Summary Report' (EUOHZ), which is co-authored by EFSA and ECDC. The 2023 MS data on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic agents are published in a separate EU Summary Report.

## Data sources and report production

Since 2020, support for production of the annual EUOHZ report has been provided by the ZOE (Zoonoses under a One health perspective in the EU) Consortium's Work Package 1. The Consortium is composed of the *Istituto Superiore di Sanità* (Rome, Italy), the *Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie* (Padua, Italy), the *French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety* (ANSES) (Maisons-Alfort, France), the *Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e

<footnote n="1">¹Directive 2003/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the monitoring of zoonoses and zoonotic agents, amending Council Decision 90/424/EEC and repealing Council Directive 92/117/EEC. OJ L 325, 12.12.2003 p. 31–40.</footnote>

<footnote n="2">²See mandate M-2015-0231 in Open EFSA Questions: https://open.efsa.europa.eu/questions/EFSA-Q-2020-00787.</footnote>

<footnote n="3">³Decision No 1082/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2013 on serious cross-border threats to health and repealing Decision No 2119/98/EC. OJ L 293, 5.11.2013, p. 1–15.</footnote>

<footnote n="4">⁴Commission Implementing Decision 2018/945/EU on the communicable diseases and related special health issues to be covered by epidemiological surveillance as well as relevant case definitions. OJ L 170, 6.7.2018, p. 1–74.</footnote>

<footnote n="5">⁵All cases of tuberculosis in cattle caused by the infectious *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* complex (MTBC) members (*M. bovis*, *M. caprae* or *M. tuberculosis*) were taken into account to summarise the EU situation on bovine tuberculosis.</footnote>
del Molise (Teramo, Italy) and the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (Brescia, Italy), under the coordination of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (Teramo, Italy).

We gratefully acknowledge the efforts made by the MSs, the reporting non-MSs and the EC for the reporting of zoonoses and FBO data, and in the preparation of this report.

The MSs, other reporting countries, the EC, members of EFSA's Scientific Panels on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) and Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW), and the relevant European Union Reference Laboratories (EURLs) were consulted while preparing the EUOHZ 2023 report.

This report focuses on the most relevant information on zoonoses, food-borne outbreaks and food microbiological safety criteria for the EU in 2023. Where substantial differences with regard to the previous years were observed, they have been reported.

On 1 February 2020, the United Kingdom withdrew from the EU and became a third country.<fnref n="6" /> Data collection for the 2020 to 2023 period was therefore affected, since the number of EU MSs went from 28 to 27. In descriptive tables, data from the United Kingdom were included in the EU statistics for 2019 and previous years, whereas the 2020 statistical data from the United Kingdom, when available for EFSA data, were assigned to the non-MS group. As of 2020, human data from the United Kingdom have not been collected by ECDC. With regard to trend analyses for human data, only countries having contributed data for all the years of the considered period were taken into account. For trend analyses of the estimated prevalence at EU-level of *Salmonella* in poultry populations covered by National Control Programs, any data provided by the reporting MSs were taken into account in the model. The United Kingdom data were only included when available for 2019 and previous years.

Since 2021, the only United Kingdom data reported to EFSA were from Northern Ireland. **In accordance with the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 5(4) of the Windsor Framework (see Joint Declaration No 1/2023 of the Union and the United Kingdom in the Joint Committee established by the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community of 24 March 2023, OJ L 102, 17.4.2023, p. 87) in conjunction with section 24 of Annex 2 to that Framework, for the purposes of this Regulation, references to Member States include the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland.** Therefore, for the purpose of this report the European Union requirements on data sampling were also applicable to Northern Ireland (XI<fnref n="7" />) and data transmitted by the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) have been assigned to the MSs group.

In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625⁸ on official controls, official samples collected by competent authorities (CAs) must be tested using methods complying with relevant internationally recognised rules or protocols (e.g. ISO methods). This requirement was technically implemented in data collection since the reporting year 2022. Consequently, in the context of verification of microbiological criteria, CAs cannot report alternative methods mentioned in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005⁹ when they carry out official controls aimed at verifying the correct implementation of the provisions of this Regulation by Food Business Operators (FBOps). Therefore, the results collected in this context and shown in the present report for 2022 and 2023 should be interpreted with caution when comparing them with those from previous years.

## Human data collection for 2023

In the 2023 EUOHZ report, the analysis of data from human diseases was prepared by the Food- and Waterborne Diseases and Zoonoses (FWD) domain (brucellosis, campylobacteriosis, congenital toxoplasmosis, echinococcosis, listeriosis, salmonellosis, STEC infection, trichinellosis and yersiniosis), the Emerging and Vector-borne Diseases (EVD) domain (Q fever, rabies, tularaemia and West Nile virus (WNV) infection) and the tuberculosis (TB) domain (infection with *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* complex, focusing on *M. bovis* and *M. caprae*) at ECDC. TESSy is a software platform in which data on 56 diseases and special health issues are collected. Both aggregated and case-based data are reported to TESSy by the MSs and other European countries. Although aggregated data did not include individual case-based information, both reporting formats were included, when possible, to calculate the number of cases and country-specific case notification rates. **The human data used in this report were extracted from TESSy as of 23 July 2024 for EVD, as of 22 July 2024 for FWD and as of 30 September 2024 for TB due to *M. bovis* and *M. caprae*.** The denominators used for calculating notification rates were based on the human population data from Eurostat on 1 January 2024.

The reporting of data to TESSy is underpinned by specific standard definitions applicable to both cases and surveillance systems in place in the MSs and in other European countries,<fnref n="10" /> which are also used to summarise the data in this report.

<footnote n="6">⁶Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community. OJ L 29, 31.1.2020, p. 7 ('Withdrawal Agreement').</footnote>

<footnote n="7">⁷For the collection of data, EFSA has aligned itself with the guidelines of the Commission concerning customs registration that lays down abbreviations and terminology, and which are available at https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2020-11/use_of_gb_and_xi_codes_guidance.pdf.</footnote>

<footnote n="8">⁸Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products (...).</footnote>

<footnote n="9">⁹Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs OJ L 338, 22.12.2005, p. 1–26.</footnote>

<footnote n="10">¹⁰Current definitions are reported in section 'Key definitions'.</footnote>
When interpreting statistics, data quality issues should be considered, as well as the differences between MS surveillance systems; comparisons between countries should therefore be undertaken with caution.

Data on human cases were received from the 27 MSs and from 3 non-MSs (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). Switzerland reported its data on human cases directly to EFSA. In 2021, Liechtenstein resumed the reporting of human data for the first time since 2008; prior to this, they reported this data together with Switzerland.

Information provided in the EUOHZ 2023 report can be accessed via the interactive ECDC Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases, although minor discrepancies may exist due to possible differences in the TESSy dataset at the time of data extraction and aggregation.

## Data collection on food, animals, feed and food-borne outbreaks for 2023

For the year 2023, the 27 MSs and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) submitted data and national zoonoses reports on monitoring results in food, animals, feed and food-borne outbreaks. In addition, data and reports were submitted by four non-MSs which are also the four European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.¹¹ For some food, animal and feed matrices, and for FBOs, EFSA received data and reports from the following pre-accession countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo,¹² Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

Data were submitted electronically to the EFSA zoonoses database, through EFSA's Data Collection Framework (DCF). MSs could also update their data from previous years.

The deadline for data submission was 31 May 2024. Two data validation procedures were carried out, from 3 June to 12 June 2024 and from 1 July to 9 July 2024, respectively. **Final validated data on food, animals, feed and food-borne outbreaks used in the report were extracted from the EFSA zoonoses database on 19 July 2024.**

A detailed description of the terms used in the report is available in EFSA's manuals for reporting on zoonoses (EFSA, 2024a, 2024b).

The national zoonoses reports submitted in accordance with Directive 2003/99/EC are published on the EFSA website together with the EU One Health Zoonoses Report. They are available online [here](#).

To provide an overview of all the information reported by the MSs for the production of the EUOHZ 2023 report and to limit its volume, the following interactive communication tools were created:

* EFSA story maps for: food-borne outbreaks (FBOs), *Campylobacter*, *Salmonella*, *Listeria monocytogenes*, Shiga toxin-producing *E. coli*, *Brucella*, Zoonotic tuberculosis (focusing on *Mycobacterium bovis* and *M. caprae*), *Trichinella*, *Echinococcus*, rabies, *Yersinia*, *Toxoplasma gondii*, Q fever and tularaemia and

* EFSA dashboards for: food-borne outbreaks (FBOs), *Campylobacter*, *Salmonella*, *Listeria monocytogenes*, Shiga toxin-producing *E. coli*, *Brucella*, Zoonotic tuberculosis (focusing on *Mycobacterium bovis* and *M. caprae*), *Trichinella*, *Echinococcus*, rabies and West Nile virus

The EFSA story maps provide general information on FBOs and on each zoonosis and its epidemiology, including information on characteristics of the zoonotic agent, how people and animals get infected, the occurrence of the pathogen in different sources, the disease it causes and how to prevent infection. In addition, the story maps also illustrate the monitoring activities implemented in the EU and the role of EFSA with respect to these activities. The EFSA story maps include dynamic maps, images, text and multimedia features.

The EFSA dashboards on specific zoonoses are graphical user interfaces for searching and querying the large amount of data collected each year by EFSA from the MSs and other reporting countries based on the Zoonoses Directive. The EFSA dashboards show summary statistics for the monitoring results of the pathogen with regard to major food and animal categories. In the EFSA dashboards, data and related statistics can be displayed interactively through charts, graphs and maps using the online format. Moreover, the main statistics can also be viewed and downloaded in tabular format. Detailed information on the use and features of the dashboards can be found in the user guide available at EFSA Zenodo Knowledge Junction [here](#) and can also be downloaded from the online tool. Specific links to the EFSA story maps and dashboards are available at the beginning of each chapter. Some discrepancies between the data and statistics reported in the present report and those shown in the story maps and dashboards may occur. The reason for this is that the data underpinning the report were updated on 19 July 2024, whereas those in the story maps and dashboards were updated on 1 December 2024.

Moreover, for each zoonotic agent, additional information on related projects and internet sources are published for this report on the EFSA Knowledge Junction at Zenodo [here](#).

## Finalisation of the EUOHZ 2023 report

The draft EUOHZ 2023 report was sent to the MSs for consultation on 8 October 2024 and comments were collected by 23 October 2024. The utmost effort was made to incorporate comments within the available time frame. In general, data

<footnote n="1">¹Based on the customs union treaty of the Principality of Liechtenstein with Switzerland, Liechtenstein is part of the Swiss customs territory. Due to the strong connection between the veterinary authorities of Liechtenstein and Switzerland, and Liechtenstein's integration into the Swiss system in the veterinary field, in principal, all legislation, rules and data on contagious diseases are identical for both Switzerland and Liechtenstein. If not mentioned otherwise, the Swiss data also include the data from Liechtenstein.</footnote>

<footnote n="2">²This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.</footnote>
amended after the data correction deadline of 17 July 2024 have not been considered in the summary calculations or other analyses, and footnotes to tables and figures have been added to account for these late data corrections. The report was finalised on 11 November 2024 and published online by EFSA and ECDC on 10 December 2024.

# Data analysis and presentation

## Data comparability and quality

### Humans

For data on human infections, please note that the numbers presented in this report may differ from those found in the national zoonoses reports due to differences in the case definitions used at the EU and national levels or because of differing dates of data submission and extraction. The latter may also result in some divergence in the case numbers and notification rates presented in the different ECDC reports and the reports produced in previous years. Results are not directly comparable among the MSs or between different years. Data collection on human cases of food-borne diseases reported to ECDC through TESSy and to EFSA within the European Union Foodborne Reporting System (EU-FORS, see chapter on Foodborne Outbreaks, section 2) is separate and independent. Comparability between the two systems is limited by the different context and purposes of cases reporting and also by the adoption of different case definitions.

### Food, animals, feed and food-borne outbreaks

Comparability of data obtained by the EFSA DCF can vary depending on the levels of data quality and harmonisation. The types of data analysis carried out for each zoonosis and matrix (food, animals, feed or food-borne outbreaks) strongly depended on this level of harmonisation and may be: a descriptive summary of submitted data, the following-up of trends (trend watching) or the (quantitative) analysis of trends. Data analyses were carried out in accordance with the quality criteria described in Table 1 as adapted from Boelaert et al., 2016. Food, animals, feed and food-borne outbreak data can be classified into three categories depending on the zoonotic agent monitored and the way the monitoring or surveillance was carried out. It follows that the type of data analyses that can be implemented is conditioned by these three distinct categories.

<table><caption>TABLE 1 Categorisation of the data used in the EU One Health Zoonoses 2023 Summary Report (adapted from Boelaert et al. (2016)).</caption><thead><tr><th>Category</th><th>Type of analysis</th><th></th><th>Type/comparability between MSs</th><th>Examples</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td rowspan="3">I</td><td>Descriptive summaries at the national and EU level</td><td></td><td>Programmed harmonised monitoring or surveillance</td><td rowspan="3">National <i>Salmonella</i> control programmes in poultry; tuberculosis caused by <i>M. bovis</i> or <i>M. caprae</i>; <i>Brucella abortus</i>, <i>B. melitensis</i> and <i>B. suis</i> in bovine, caprine and ovine animal populations; <i>Trichinella</i> in domestic pigs, farmed wild boar and solipeds at the slaughterhouse</td></tr><tr><td>EU trend watching (trend monitoring)</td><td></td><td>Comparable between MSs</td></tr><tr><td>Spatial and temporal trend analyses at the EU level</td><td></td><td>Results are interpretable at the EU level</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">II</td><td>Descriptive summaries at the national and EU level</td><td></td><td>Monitoring or surveillance not fully harmonised</td><td rowspan="3">Food-borne outbreak data, official control samples related to process hygiene criteria for carcases at the slaughterhouse for <i>Salmonella</i> and <i>Campylobacter</i>, and to food safety criteria for <i>L. monocytogenes</i>, <i>Salmonella</i> and STEC in the context of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, passive rabies surveillance, West Nile virus</td></tr><tr><td>EU trend watching (trend monitoring)</td><td></td><td>Not fully comparable between MSs</td></tr><tr><td>No EU trend analysis</td><td></td><td>Caution needed when interpreting results at the EU level</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">III</td><td>Descriptive summaries at the national and EU level</td><td></td><td>Non-harmonised monitoring or surveillance data with no (harmonised) reporting requirements</td><td rowspan="3">Yersinia, Q fever, <i>Francisella tularensis</i>, <i>Taenia</i> spp., <i>Toxoplasma</i> and other zoonoses</td></tr><tr><td>No EU trend watching (trend monitoring)</td><td></td><td>Not comparable between MSs; extreme caution needed when interpreting results at the EU level</td></tr><tr><td>No EU trend analysis</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /></figure>
## Rationale of the table of contents

The following table of contents has been adopted for the 2023 EUOHZ report and takes account of the zoonoses listed in Annex I of Directive 2003/99/EC, of the mandatory reporting of food-borne outbreaks, and of the above-mentioned categorisation of food, animal and feed data (Table 1).

Zoonoses and zoonotic agents included in compulsory annual monitoring (Directive 2003/99/EC List A)

1. Campylobacter

2. Salmonella

3. Listeria

4. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

5. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, focussing on M. bovis<fnref n="13" />

6. Brucella

7. Trichinella

8. Echinococcus

Food-borne and water-borne outbreaks (in accordance with Directive 2003/99/EC).

Zoonoses and zoonotic agents monitored according to the epidemiological situation (Directive 2003/99/EC List B).

1. Yersinia

2. Toxoplasma gondii

3. Rabies

4. Q fever

5. West Nile virus

6. Tularaemia

7. Other zoonoses and zoonotic agents

Microbiological contaminants subject to food safety criteria (Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005).

## Chapter sections

The 2023 EUOHZ Report presents a harmonised structure for each chapter:

* 'Key facts',

* 'Monitoring and surveillance' in the EU for each specific disease,

* 'Results', summarising the major findings of 2023 as regards trends and sources, starting with a table displaying summary statistics for the last 5 years (2019–2023) for human cases, food matrices and major animal species, and followed by specific sections describing the main results in humans, food and/or animals.

* 'Discussion' section.

For food-borne outbreaks, the main findings are presented and discussed in a joint 'Results and discussion' section and key messages are summarised in the 'Conclusions' section.

For each chapter, overview tables present the data reported by each country. However, unless stated otherwise, the tables summarising MS-specific results and providing EU-level results for food, animals and feed, exclude data from industry own-check programmes, hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) sampling, as well as data from suspect sampling, selective sampling, and outbreak or clinical investigations. Moreover, regional data reported by countries for food, animals and feed without statistics at the national level, were also excluded from these tables. For *Yersinia, Francisella tularensis* and food-borne outbreaks, summary tables and figures can be found on the EFSA Knowledge Junction at Zenodo here.

## Data analyses

Statistical trend analyses for humans were carried out to evaluate the significance of temporal variations in the EU over the 2019–2023 period. Further details can be found in the individual chapters. The number of confirmed cases for the EU by month is presented as a trend figure for the 2014–2023 period. All countries that consistently reported cases – or reported zero cases over the whole reporting period – were included. Where appropriate, the trend figure also shows a centred 12-month moving average over the last 5 years, illustrating the overall trend by smoothing seasonal and random variations. Moreover, the same trend analysis was carried out separately for each country (MS and non-MS countries). Analyses were

<footnote n="13">¹³All cases of tuberculosis in cattle caused by the infectious MTBC members (*M. bovis*, *M. caprae* or *M. tuberculosis*) were taken into account to summarise the EU situation on bovine tuberculosis.</footnote>
carried out considering confirmed cases only, except for WNV infection, for which all locally acquired cases (i.e. probable and confirmed cases) were considered. Statistical methods for trend analysis were based on either the regression analysis or a non-parametric test (Cox-Stuart test), where appropriate. The time trend was considered statistically significant with the *p*-value < 0.01 (*p* < 0.05 for non-parametric tests).

The notification rates were calculated taking into account the coverage of the human population under surveillance (percentage of national coverage). For countries where surveillance did not cover the whole population, the estimated coverage - if provided - was used to calculate the country-specific rate. Cases and populations of those countries not providing information on national coverage or reporting incomplete data were excluded from the EU notification rate.

ESRI ArcMap 10.8.2 was used to map the data. Choropleth maps with graduated colours over five class scales of values using the natural breaks function proposed by the ArcGIS software, were produced to map the proportion of positive sample units across the EU and other reporting countries. In the maps included in this report, EU MSs and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) were represented with a blue label, the EFTA/EEA countries were represented with a grey label and all the candidate countries were represented with an orange label.

Statistical trend analysis of food-borne outbreaks was performed to evaluate the significance of temporal variations at the single MS level over the 2014–2023 period.

Summary data and the figures for food, animals, feed and food-borne outbreaks used to produce this report, as well as additional information on related projects and internet sources, are published at the EFSA Knowledge Junction at Zenodo [here]. All country-specific data on food, animals, feed and food-borne outbreaks, updated through 30 November 2024, are also available at this URL.

## Summary of human zoonoses data for 2023

The numbers of confirmed human cases of the zoonoses presented in this report are summarised in Table 2. In 2023, campylobacteriosis was confirmed as the most commonly reported zoonosis (as it has been since 2005). It accounted for 58.9% of all the reported and confirmed human cases in 2023. After campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, STEC infections, yersiniosis and listeriosis were the most frequently reported zoonoses. Among the disease data collected under the EVD domain, tularaemia was the most frequently reported, followed by Q fever and West Nile virus infection. One imported case of rabies from Morocco was also reported.

With regard to human cases involved in FBOs, *Salmonella* accounted for the highest number of outbreaks and cases (Table 2), followed by 'norovirus and other calicivirus' (statistics not displayed in Table 2, but available in Table 51) and 'Bacillus cereus' toxins' (statistics not displayed in Table 2, but available in Table 51).

## Severity of zoonoses in the EU

The severity of zoonotic diseases was descriptively analysed based on the number and proportion (%) of hospitalisations and the outcomes of reported cases, i.e. number of deaths and case fatality (%). Information for all zoonoses is shown in Table 2. Based on data provided to ECDC by the MSs, in 2023 listeriosis and West Nile virus infection were the two most severe diseases, with the highest case fatality and hospitalisation rates among reported cases. Almost all cases of listeriosis and West Nile virus infection with available data were hospitalised (96.5% of confirmed cases for listeriosis and 78.1% of locally acquired probable and confirmed cases for West Nile virus infection, respectively). Like in recent years, the highest number of deaths was associated with listeriosis (N=335), followed by salmonellosis (N=88) and West Nile virus infection (N=75). Listeriosis and West Nile virus infection were also the zoonoses with the highest case fatality rates, 19.7% and 11.2%, respectively.

Among FBOs, *Salmonella* was the agent associated with the largest number of hospitalisations and deaths. Overall, the highest case fatality rates among outbreak cases were observed in outbreaks caused by *L. monocytogenes* (8.3%) followed by *Clostridium botulinum* toxins' (7.1%) (Statistics not displayed in Table 2, but available in Table 51) and STEC (0.37%).
<table><caption>TABLE 2 Reported hospitalisations and deaths due to zoonoses in confirmed human cases and among food-borne outbreak cases in the EU, 2023.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="3">Disease</th><th colspan="10">Surveillance data on human cases (source: ECDC)</th><th colspan="8">Food-borne outbreaks (source: EFSA)</th></tr><tr><th colspan="3">Hospitalisations</th><th colspan="3">Cases and proportion of hospitalised cases</th><th colspan="3">Deaths</th><th colspan="3">Deaths and case fatality</th><th colspan="3">Hospitalisations and proportion of hospitalised cases</th><th colspan="3">Deaths and case fatality</th></tr><tr><th>Confirmed human cases</th><th>Status available</th><th>Reporting MSs<sup>a</sup></th><th>N</th><th>%</th><th>N</th><th>%</th><th>Outcome available</th><th>Reporting MSs<sup>a</sup></th><th>N</th><th>%</th><th>N</th><th>%</th><th>N</th><th>%</th><th>N</th><th>%</th><th>N</th><th>%</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Campylobacteriosis</td><td>148,181</td><td>50,955</td><td>34.4</td><td>14</td><td>12,194</td><td>23.9</td><td>83,180</td><td>56.1</td><td>16</td><td>44</td><td>0.05</td><td>229</td><td>1174</td><td>90</td><td>7.7</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Salmonellosis</td><td>77,486</td><td>36,129</td><td>46.6</td><td>17</td><td>14,801</td><td>41.0</td><td>44,911</td><td>58.0</td><td>17</td><td>88</td><td>0.20</td><td>1115</td><td>9210</td><td>1726</td><td>18.7</td><td>16</td><td>0.17</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>STEC infections</td><td>10,217</td><td>3285</td><td>32.2</td><td>17</td><td>1234</td><td>37.6</td><td>7819</td><td>76.5</td><td>22</td><td>31</td><td>0.40</td><td>66</td><td>270</td><td>48</td><td>17.8</td><td>1</td><td>0.37</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Yersiniosis</td><td>8738</td><td>2554</td><td>29.2</td><td>15</td><td>651</td><td>25.5</td><td>4222</td><td>48.3</td><td>15</td><td>1</td><td>0.02</td><td>17</td><td>73</td><td>9</td><td>12.3</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Listeriosis</td><td>2952</td><td>1551</td><td>52.5</td><td>18</td><td>1497</td><td>96.5</td><td>1701</td><td>57.6</td><td>19</td><td>335</td><td>19.7</td><td>19</td><td>133</td><td>84</td><td>63.2</td><td>11</td><td>8.3</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Tularaemia</td><td>1185</td><td>217</td><td>18.3</td><td>12</td><td>105</td><td>48.4</td><td>325</td><td>27.4</td><td>11</td><td>2</td><td>0.62</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Echinococcosis</td><td>929</td><td>406</td><td>43.7</td><td>15</td><td>153</td><td>37.7</td><td>563</td><td>60.6</td><td>15</td><td>3</td><td>0.53</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Q fever</td><td>805</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>554</td><td>68.8</td><td>14</td><td>4</td><td>0.72</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>West Nile virus infection<sup>b</sup></td><td>713</td><td>365</td><td>51.2</td><td>5</td><td>285</td><td>78.1</td><td>669</td><td>93.8</td><td>6</td><td>75</td><td>11.2</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td></tr><tr><td>Brucellosis</td><td>259</td><td>102</td><td>39.4</td><td>12</td><td>58</td><td>56.9</td><td>101</td><td>39.0</td><td>13</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Tuberculosis caused by M. bovis, M. caprae</td><td>138</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>1<sup>c</sup></td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Trichinellosis</td><td>76</td><td>56</td><td>73.7</td><td>6</td><td>14</td><td>25.0</td><td>42</td><td>55.3</td><td>6</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>3</td><td>31</td><td>5</td><td>16.1</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Rabies<sup>d</sup></td><td>1</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td><td>NA</td></tr></tbody></table>

Note: Data on congenital toxoplasmosis are not shown, since 2023 data are not available yet.

Abbreviation: -, % not calculated; NA, not applicable, as information is not collected for this disease.

<sup>a</sup>Not all countries provided data for all diseases.

<sup>b</sup>For West Nile virus infection, the total number of locally acquired infection cases was used (includes probable and confirmed cases).

<sup>c</sup>No information on the *Mycobacterium* species was provided.

<sup>d</sup>In 2023 one case was reported by France, probably infected in Morocco.
## Comparison of human Zoonoses data for 2022 and 2023

In order to evaluate trends in human infections over the last 2 years, the 2023 data (number of cases and notification rates) were compared with those from 2022 (absolute and relative difference) (Table 3). Relative differences in notification rates have been calculated using exact numbers.

For all zoonoses but West Nile virus infection and tuberculosis caused by *M. bovis*, *M. caprae*, there was an increase in the number of cases and notification rates in 2023, as compared with 2022. The highest increases in the notification rate were seen for trichinellosis (+94.0%), tularaemia (+89.3%) and STEC infection (+30.0%), whereas for locally acquired West Nile virus infection the notification rate decreased by 37.2% as compared with 2022. For salmonellosis (+16.9%), brucellosis (+14.1%), yersiniosis (+13.5%) and Q fever (+11.5%), a noteworthy increase (> 10.0%) in the notification rate was also observed.

The total number of FBOs in 2023 (N=5691) was rather stable as compared with 2022 (N=5763), corresponding to a relative difference of -1.7%. However, a relative increase in the number of cases (+7.2%), hospitalisations (+4.0%) and deaths (+1.6%) involved in outbreaks was observed in 2023 as compared with 2022.

<table><caption>TABLE 3 Number of confirmed human cases and notification rates (per 100,000 population) in 2023, including the absolute and relative (%) difference as compared with 2022, by zoonosis, EU.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Zoonosis</th><th colspan="2">Cases (N)</th><th colspan="3">Notification rates (N of confirmed cases per 100,000 population)</th></tr><tr><th>2023</th><th>Absolute difference (compared with 2022)</th><th>2023</th><th>Absolute difference (compared with 2022)</th><th>Relative difference (%)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Campylobacteriosis</td><td>148,181</td><td>8956</td><td>45.7</td><td>1.9</td><td>+4.3</td></tr><tr><td>Salmonellosis</td><td>77,486</td><td>12,008</td><td>18.0</td><td>2.6</td><td>+16.9</td></tr><tr><td>STEC infections</td><td>10,217</td><td>2186</td><td>3.1</td><td>0.70</td><td>+30.0</td></tr><tr><td>Yersiniosis</td><td>8738</td><td>809</td><td>2.4</td><td>0.29</td><td>+13.5</td></tr><tr><td>Listeriosis</td><td>2952</td><td>174</td><td>0.66</td><td>0.04</td><td>+5.8</td></tr><tr><td>Tularaemia</td><td>1185</td><td>561</td><td>0.27</td><td>0.13</td><td>+89.3</td></tr><tr><td>Echinococcosis</td><td>929</td><td>190</td><td>0.21</td><td>0.02</td><td>+8.4</td></tr><tr><td>Q fever</td><td>805</td><td>86</td><td>0.19</td><td>0.02</td><td>+11.5</td></tr><tr><td>West Nile virus infection<sup>a</sup></td><td>713</td><td>-403</td><td>0.16</td><td>-0.09</td><td>-37.2</td></tr><tr><td>Brucellosis</td><td>259</td><td>33</td><td>0.06</td><td>0.01</td><td>+14.1</td></tr><tr><td>Tuberculosis caused by <i>M. bovis</i>, <i>M. caprae</i></td><td>138</td><td>-9</td><td>0.04</td><td>-0.002</td><td>-6.1</td></tr><tr><td>Trichinellosis</td><td>76</td><td>37</td><td>0.02</td><td>0.01</td><td>+94.0</td></tr><tr><td>Rabies<sup>b</sup></td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr></tbody></table>

<footnote><sup>a</sup>For West Nile virus infection, the total number of locally acquired infection cases was used (includes probable and confirmed cases).</footnote>

<footnote><sup>b</sup>In 2023 one case was reported by France, probably infected in Morocco.</footnote>
# ZOONOSES AND ZOONOTIC AGENTS INCLUDED IN COMPULSORY ANNUAL MONITORING (DIRECTIVE 2003/99/EC LIST A)

## 1 | CAMPYLOBACTER

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_10.png" /></figure>

* The percentages are calculated on the number of cases with information available (for further details see Table 2)

### N of outbreaks

<table><tr><td>Austria</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>Belgium</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>Bulgaria</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Croatia</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Cyprus</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Czechia</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Denmark</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>Estonia</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Finland</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>France</td><td>63</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>42</td></tr><tr><td>Greece</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>Hungary</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Ireland</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Italy</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>Latvia</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Lithuania</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Luxembourg</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Malta</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>Netherlands</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>Poland</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Portugal</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Romania</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Slovakia</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>Slovenia</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Spain</td><td>29</td></tr><tr><td>Sweden</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>UK (N. Ireland)</td><td>0</td></tr></table>

### N of outbreaks per 100,000 population **

<table><tr><td>AT</td><td>0.132</td></tr><tr><td>BE</td><td>0.034</td></tr><tr><td>BG</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>HR</td><td>0.078</td></tr><tr><td>CY</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>CZ</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>DK</td><td>0.185</td></tr><tr><td>EE</td><td>0.073</td></tr><tr><td>FI</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>FR</td><td>0.092</td></tr><tr><td>DE</td><td>0.050</td></tr><tr><td>EL</td><td>0.096</td></tr><tr><td>HU</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>IE</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>IT</td><td>0.025</td></tr><tr><td>LV</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>LT</td><td>0.070</td></tr><tr><td>LU</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>MT</td><td>2.767</td></tr><tr><td>NL</td><td>0.039</td></tr><tr><td>PL</td><td>0.005</td></tr><tr><td>PT</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>RO</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>SK</td><td>0.184</td></tr><tr><td>SI</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>ES</td><td>0.060</td></tr><tr><td>SE</td><td>0.029</td></tr><tr><td>XI</td><td>0</td></tr></table>

### N of outbreak cases per 100,000 population

<table><tr><td>AT</td><td>0.286</td></tr><tr><td>BE</td><td>0.085</td></tr><tr><td>BG</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>HR</td><td>0.156</td></tr><tr><td>CY</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>CZ</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>DK</td><td>2.174</td></tr><tr><td>EE</td><td>0.146</td></tr><tr><td>FI</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>FR</td><td>0.635</td></tr><tr><td>DE</td><td>0.145</td></tr><tr><td>EL</td><td>0.288</td></tr><tr><td>HU</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>IE</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>IT</td><td>0.088</td></tr><tr><td>LV</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>LT</td><td>0.140</td></tr><tr><td>LU</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>MT</td><td>6.457</td></tr><tr><td>NL</td><td>0.191</td></tr><tr><td>PL</td><td>0.035</td></tr><tr><td>PT</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>RO</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>SK</td><td>1.216</td></tr><tr><td>SI</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>ES</td><td>0.424</td></tr><tr><td>SE</td><td>0.076</td></tr><tr><td>XI</td><td>0</td></tr></table>

### Implicated food vehicles (Strong-evidence outbreaks)

#### Top food vehicles

<figure><img src="image_11.png" /></figure>

Broiler meat (Gallus gallus) and products thereof

15 Outbreaks

<figure><img src="image_12.png" /></figure>

Other or mixed red meat and products thereof

3 Outbreaks

#### Cheese

Eggs and egg products

Fish and fish products

Meat and meat products, unspecified

Milk

Mixed food

Other, mixed or unspecified poultry meat and products thereof

Pig meat and products thereof

Turkey meat and products thereof

1 Outbreak (each)

EFSA data

<footnote>** Differences among countries shall be interpreted with caution as this indicator depends on several factors including the type of outbreaks under surveillance and does not necessarily reflect the level of food safety in each country.</footnote>
The summary data which make up this chapter, as well as additional information on related projects and internet sources, are published for this report on the EFSA Knowledge Junction at Zenodo [here]. Summary statistics on human surveillance data with downloadable files are retrievable using the ECDC Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases available [here].

For additional information about *Campylobacter* and for the consultation of data collected, the following interactive tools are available:

Campylobacter
DASHBOARD

<figure><img src="image_13.png" /></figure>

Campylobacter
STORY MAP

<figure><img src="image_14.png" /></figure>

## 1.1 | Key facts

* Campylobacteriosis was the most commonly reported food-borne gastrointestinal infection in humans in the European Union.

* In 2023, there were 148,181 confirmed cases of human campylobacteriosis, corresponding to a European Union notification rate of 45.7 cases per 100,000 population. This was an increase of 4.3% compared with the notification rate in 2022 (43.8 per 100,000 population).

* The overall trend for *Campylobacter* human infections did not show a statistically significant increase or decrease over the 2019–2023 period.

* Twenty-four Member States and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) reported data for 2023 in the context of the *Campylobacter* process hygiene criterion, set out in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005. Fifteen Member States reported 6686 test results from official controls, with 16.0% *Campylobacter*-positive samples exceeding the limit of 1000 CFU/g. Twenty Member States and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) reported 61,591 test results from the monitoring of food business operators, with 15.8% *Campylobacter*-positive samples exceeding the limit of 1000 CFU/g. Eleven Member States reported results from both samplers, showing that the number of samples exceeding the limit was significantly higher in official samples (16.6%) than in in-own-checks (9.0%).

* In 2023, 0.13% of 3070 'ready-to-eat' food sampling units reported by 11 Member States were positive for *Campylobacter*, with positive samples originating from oysters (N=3) and unspecified ready-to-eat foods (N=1). Of 8588 'non-ready-to-eat' sampling units reported by 15 Member States, 14.2% were positive, with the highest level of contamination (15.5%) found in 'meat and meat products'. *Campylobacter* was isolated from all fresh meat categories, with meat from broilers and turkeys showing the highest percentages of contamination, 21.6% and 19.4%, respectively.

* Data on *Campylobacter* spp. in different animal categories were reported by 16 Member States and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) and three non-Member States in 2023. The majority of units tested in the European Union were from broilers (N=6627), cats and dogs (N=6301), and cattle (bovine animals) (N=5939), with positive rates of 4.6%, 1.4% and 6.8%, respectively. Fewer samples were tested for pigs (N=2055) and small ruminants (N=2935), but higher proportions of positives were observed, at 72.3% and 7.2%, respectively.

## 1.2 | Surveillance and monitoring of *Campylobacter* in the EU

### 1.2.1 | Humans

In 2023, all 27 EU MSs reported information on campylobacteriosis in humans. Surveillance of campylobacteriosis is mandatory in 23 EU MSs. In four MSs (Belgium, France, Italy and the Netherlands), notification is based on a voluntary system. The EU case definition was used by 23 MSs. Three MSs used a different case definition for reporting (France, Germany and Italy), and the Netherlands did not specify which case definition it used. All MSs, except three (Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands), had a comprehensive surveillance system.

The campylobacteriosis surveillance systems cover the whole population of all MSs except four (France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain). The estimated coverage of the surveillance system was 20% in France, 64% in the Netherlands and 80% in Spain. These estimated proportions of population coverage were used in the calculation of notification rates for these three MSs. No estimated population coverage was provided for 2019–2020 in Spain, so notification rates were not calculated. No estimate of population coverage in Italy was provided for any year, so no notification rate was calculated for this MS. All countries reported case-based data, except Belgium, Bulgaria and Croatia, which reported aggregated data.
## 1.2.2 | Food and animals

*Campylobacter* is monitored along the food chain during primary production (farm animals), harvest/slaughter, manufacturing and distribution.

### Campylobacter data in the context of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005

A regulatory limit (microbiological process hygiene criterion (PHC)) of 1000 CFU/g of *Campylobacter* on the neck skins of chilled broiler carcases was set by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 (point 2.1.9 of Chapter 2 of Annex I). This limit applies to a set of 50 pooled samples from 10 consecutive sampling sessions. As of 2023, a maximum number of 15 samples with values exceeding this limit is considered acceptable. Food business operators (FBOps) failing to comply with this limit are required to carry out corrective actions involving validation and verification of their food safety management procedures based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). The PHC has been in force since 1 January 2018. On 14 December 2019, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627¹⁴ came into force, harmonising sampling procedures for official controls. This legislation requires the Competent Authority (CA) to verify whether the FBOp is correctly implementing and checking the PHC on broiler carcases by choosing one of two approaches: implementing ad hoc official sampling<fnref n="15" /> or collecting all the information from the samples taken by the FBOp. The results obtained in official controls enable improved trend watching and trend analyses (Table 1).

### Other monitoring data for food and animals

*Campylobacter* monitoring data from food and animals submitted to EFSA in compliance with Chapter II 'Monitoring of zoonoses and zoonotic agents' of the Directive 2003/99/EC are collected without a harmonised procedure. These data allow descriptive summaries at the EU level, but they do not support EU-level trend analyses and trend watching and should be interpreted with caution (Table 1).

In 2023, general data on food and animals reported to EFSA by MSs and non-MSs were obtained mainly from official sampling, industry HACCP sampling and own-checks, as part of national monitoring and surveillance and/or organised surveys. In addition, for animal data, other reported samples were obtained from clinical investigations by private veterinarians and industry (e.g. artificial insemination centres).

The occurrence of *Campylobacter* reported in the main food categories for the year 2023 and for the 4-year period of 2019–2022 was descriptively summarised, making a distinction between 'ready-to-eat' (RTE) and non-RTE food. Data sets were extracted using the 'objective sampling' strategy, meaning that the reporting MSs collected the samples as part of a planned strategy based on the selection of random samples that are statistically representative of the population to be analysed.

In 2023, other *Campylobacter* monitoring data from livestock primary production were obtained from cattle under 1 year of age and fattening pigs. These additional data were collected through antimicrobial resistance (AMR) monitoring, following the harmonised sampling scheme and protocol for isolation set out in Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1729¹⁶ that is focused on the species *Campylobacter jejuni* and *C. coli*. The results of AMR monitoring are published separately in an EU Summary Report.

The detection and confirmation of *Campylobacter* in food and animals is generally based on culture, with the use of international standards or equivalent validated methods. Species identification is carried out using biochemical and molecular methods (PCR-based), as well as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).

## 1.3 | Data analyses

A comparison of the proportions of *Campylobacter*-positive samples collected from the neck skins of broiler carcases after chilling that exceeded 1000 CFU/g was carried out, as obtained by the CAs and FBOps as part of the *Campylobacter* PHC, in compliance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005. The significance of any differences was verified by a one-tailed Fisher's exact probability test in cases where the expected values of any of the cells in a contingency table were below 5; otherwise, the one-tailed z test was used. The official control sampling results by the CA and the own-check results by the FBOps were expressed as prevalence ratios with an exact binomial confidence interval of 95%. A *p*-value of < 0.10 (Clayton & Hills, 2013) was considered significant, in order to highlight every possible indication of differences between the data collected by the FBOps and the CAs. R software (www.r-project.org, version 4.2.3) was used to conduct the above analyses.

<footnote n="14">¹⁴Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/627 of 15 March 2019, laying down uniform practical arrangements for the performance of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council and amending Commission Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005 as regards official controls. OJ L 131, 17.5.2019, p. 51–100.</footnote>

<footnote n="15">¹⁵This means official sampling using the same method and sampling area as food business operators. At least 49 random samples shall be taken from each slaughterhouse each year. The number of samples may be reduced for small slaughterhouses and based on a risk evaluation.</footnote>

<footnote n="16">¹⁶Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1729 of 17 November 2020 on the monitoring and reporting of antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and commensal bacteria.</footnote>
# 1.4 | Results

## 1.4.1 | Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019–2023

Table 4 summarises EU statistics on human campylobacteriosis, and on the occurrence and percentage of positives for *Campylobacter* in food and animals for the period 2019–2023. In 2023, a slight increase was observed in the number of notified human cases and in the EU notification rate with respect to 2022. The food data of interest in this report were classified into two major categories: ‘meat and meat products’ and ‘milk and milk products’, aggregated by year to obtain an annual overview of the volume of data submitted. In the last 5 years, the number of sampling units reported for ‘meat and meat products’ has increased, probably owing to CIR (EU) 2019/627 establishing compulsory reporting of *Campylobacter* PHC monitoring data (see above). The animal data collected at the primary production stage were mostly from broilers, cattle and pigs. Results showed comparable and consistent test numbers over the considered period for cattle and pigs, alongside a decreasing trend in the reported sample sizes for broilers. More detailed descriptions of these statistics are provided in the subsections below and in the chapter on food-borne outbreaks.

<table><caption>TABLE 4 Summary of *Campylobacter* statistics relating to humans, major food categories and the main animal species, EU, 2019–2023.</caption><thead><tr><th></th><th>2023</th><th>2022</th><th>2021</th><th>2020</th><th>2019</th><th>Data source</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td colspan="7"><strong>Humans</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Total number of confirmed cases</td><td>148,181</td><td>139,225</td><td>140,666</td><td>121,752</td><td>222,304</td><td>ECDC</td></tr><tr><td>Total number of confirmed cases/100,000 population (notification rates)</td><td>45.7</td><td>43.8</td><td>44.2</td><td>40.6</td><td>61.1</td><td>ECDC</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>27</td><td>27</td><td>27</td><td>27</td><td>28</td><td>ECDC</td></tr><tr><td>Infection acquired in the EU</td><td>82,133</td><td>78,499</td><td>81,975</td><td>70,769</td><td>109,937</td><td>ECDC</td></tr><tr><td>Infection acquired outside the EU</td><td>4339</td><td>3224</td><td>704</td><td>1586</td><td>6514</td><td>ECDC</td></tr><tr><td>Unknown travel status or unknown country of infection</td><td>61,709</td><td>57,502</td><td>57,987</td><td>49,397</td><td>105,853</td><td>ECDC</td></tr><tr><td>Number of food-borne outbreak-related cases</td><td>1174</td><td>1097</td><td>1051</td><td>1319</td><td>1770</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Total number of food-borne outbreaks</td><td>229</td><td>255</td><td>249</td><td>317</td><td>542</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><strong>Food<sup>a</sup></strong></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><strong>Meat and meat products<sup>b</sup></strong></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>107,290</td><td>107,176</td><td>87,808</td><td>66,099</td><td>57,027</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>26</td><td>27</td><td>25</td><td>25</td><td>25</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><strong>Milk and milk products<sup>c</sup></strong></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>1802</td><td>2633</td><td>2125</td><td>2145</td><td>2749</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>13</td><td>14</td><td>11</td><td>11</td><td>11</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><strong>Animals<sup>a</sup></strong></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><strong>Cattle (bovine animals)</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>6305</td><td>5698</td><td>7529</td><td>4387</td><td>6850</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>13</td><td>7</td><td>11</td><td>7</td><td>10</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><strong>Gallus gallus (chickens)</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>6732</td><td>9817</td><td>10,162</td><td>13,628</td><td>10,472</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>5</td><td>14</td><td>6</td><td>15</td><td>8</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><strong>Pigs</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>2428</td><td>1820</td><td>4502</td><td>2110</td><td>4308</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>12</td><td>5</td><td>14</td><td>4</td><td>11</td><td>EFSA</td></tr></tbody></table>

Abbreviations: ECDC, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; EFSA, European Food Safety Authority; MSs, Member States.

## 1.4.2 | Human campylobacteriosis

In 2023, 148,181 confirmed cases of human campylobacteriosis were reported by the 27 EU MSs, corresponding to an EU notification rate of 45.7 cases per 100,000 population (Table 4). This is an increase of 4.3% compared with the annual notification rate of 2022 (43.8 per 100,000 population). Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg and the

<footnote><sup>a</sup>The total number of sampling units was calculated by summing all reported sub-level entries for sampling units, stages, strategies and samplers, as listed in the EFSA Catalogue (EFSA and Ioannidou, 2019).</footnote>

<footnote><sup>b</sup>Meat and meat products’ refers to carcases and fresh meat/ready-to-eat (RTE), cooked and fermented products.</footnote>

<footnote><sup>c</sup>Milk and milk products’ refers to raw and pasteurised milk and all dairy products including cheeses.</footnote>
Netherlands reported lower rates in 2023 than in the previous year. The highest country-specific notification rates in 2023 were observed in Luxembourg (129.4 cases per 100,000 population), Czechia (125.2), Slovakia (104.4) and Malta (89.5). The lowest rates in 2023 were observed in Bulgaria, Greece, Poland and Romania (≤ 6.1 per 100,000 population) (Table 5).

For most (95.0%) of the reported campylobacteriosis cases of known origin, the infection was acquired in the EU (including both domestic and travel-associated cases within the EU) (Table 4). This figure is slightly lower than in 2022 (96.1%), but still higher than the rate (94.4%) of the pre-pandemic year 2019. The proportion of domestic cases among the cases of known origin was 80%–100% in all reporting countries, except for three MSs, which reported the highest proportion of travel-associated cases: Finland (55.6%), Sweden (44.6%) and Denmark (31.3%). Nineteen MSs reported imported cases, and the proportion of travel-related cases was 11.4%, which was higher than in 2022 (9.7%).

<table><caption>TABLE 5 Reported confirmed human cases of campylobacteriosis and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MSs and non-MS countries, by country and year, 2019–2023.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="3">Country</th><th colspan="2">2023</th><th colspan="2">2022</th><th colspan="2">2021</th><th colspan="2">2020</th><th colspan="2">2019</th></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">National Coverage<sup>a</sup></th><th rowspan="2">Data format<sup>a</sup></th><th colspan="2">Confirmed cases and rate</th><th colspan="2">Confirmed cases and rate</th><th colspan="2">Confirmed cases and rate</th><th colspan="2">Confirmed cases and rate</th></tr><tr><th>Cases</th><th>Rate</th><th>Cases</th><th>Rate</th><th>Cases</th><th>Rate</th><th>Cases</th><th>Rate</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Austria</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>6271</td><td>68.9</td><td>6293</td><td>70.1</td><td>6019</td><td>67.4</td><td>5406</td><td>60.7</td><td>6572</td><td>74.2</td></tr><tr><td>Belgium</td><td>Y</td><td>A</td><td>5597</td><td>47.7</td><td>5647</td><td>48.6</td><td>5083</td><td>44.0</td><td>5693</td><td>49.4</td><td>7337</td><td>64.0</td></tr><tr><td>Bulgaria</td><td>Y</td><td>A</td><td>222</td><td>3.4</td><td>107</td><td>1.6</td><td>130</td><td>1.9</td><td>127</td><td>1.8</td><td>229</td><td>3.3</td></tr><tr><td>Croatia</td><td>Y</td><td>A</td><td>1913</td><td>49.7</td><td>1467</td><td>38.0</td><td>1148</td><td>28.4</td><td>1054</td><td>26.0</td><td>1722</td><td>42.2</td></tr><tr><td>Cyprus</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>106</td><td>11.5</td><td>82</td><td>9.1</td><td>24</td><td>2.7</td><td>18</td><td>2.0</td><td>21</td><td>2.4</td></tr><tr><td>Czechia</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>13,558</td><td>125.2</td><td>14,412</td><td>137.0</td><td>16,305</td><td>155.4</td><td>17,517</td><td>163.8</td><td>22,894</td><td>215.0</td></tr><tr><td>Denmark</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>5197</td><td>87.6</td><td>5143</td><td>87.6</td><td>3740</td><td>64.0</td><td>3742</td><td>64.3</td><td>5402</td><td>93.0</td></tr><tr><td>Estonia</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>270</td><td>19.8</td><td>211</td><td>15.8</td><td>185</td><td>13.9</td><td>265</td><td>19.9</td><td>347</td><td>26.2</td></tr><tr><td>Finland</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>2587</td><td>46.5</td><td>2462</td><td>44.4</td><td>1798</td><td>32.5</td><td>2074</td><td>37.5</td><td>4382</td><td>79.4</td></tr><tr><td>France<sup>b</sup></td><td>N</td><td>C</td><td>9255</td><td>67.9</td><td>9095</td><td>67.0</td><td>8875</td><td>65.6</td><td>7920</td><td>58.8</td><td>7712</td><td>57.4</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>40,054</td><td>47.5</td><td>43,471</td><td>52.2</td><td>47,911</td><td>57.6</td><td>46,377</td><td>55.8</td><td>61,277</td><td>73.8</td></tr><tr><td>Greece</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>635</td><td>6.1</td><td>302</td><td>2.9</td><td>260</td><td>2.4</td><td>218</td><td>2.0</td><td>366</td><td>3.4</td></tr><tr><td>Hungary</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>5488</td><td>57.2</td><td>5050</td><td>52.1</td><td>5088</td><td>52.3</td><td>4461</td><td>45.7</td><td>6400</td><td>65.5</td></tr><tr><td>Ireland</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>3736</td><td>70.9</td><td>3617</td><td>71.5</td><td>3147</td><td>62.9</td><td>2419</td><td>48.7</td><td>2776</td><td>56.6</td></tr><tr><td>Italy<sup>c</sup></td><td>N</td><td>C</td><td>2363</td><td>–</td><td>1539</td><td>–</td><td>1541</td><td>–</td><td>1418</td><td>–</td><td>1632</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Latvia</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>176</td><td>9.3</td><td>172</td><td>9.2</td><td>158</td><td>8.3</td><td>104</td><td>5.5</td><td>133</td><td>6.9</td></tr><tr><td>Lithuania</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>643</td><td>22.5</td><td>497</td><td>17.7</td><td>357</td><td>12.8</td><td>684</td><td>24.5</td><td>1221</td><td>43.7</td></tr><tr><td>Luxembourg</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>855</td><td>129.4</td><td>912</td><td>141.3</td><td>589</td><td>92.8</td><td>729</td><td>116.4</td><td>271</td><td>44.1</td></tr><tr><td>Malta</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>485</td><td>89.5</td><td>372</td><td>71.4</td><td>378</td><td>73.2</td><td>206</td><td>40.0</td><td>278</td><td>56.3</td></tr><tr><td>Netherlands<sup>d</sup></td><td>N</td><td>C</td><td>4673</td><td>41.0</td><td>4758</td><td>42.3</td><td>4231</td><td>37.8</td><td>3758</td><td>37.2</td><td>5081</td><td>50.7</td></tr><tr><td>Poland</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>843</td><td>2.3</td><td>527</td><td>1.4</td><td>616</td><td>1.6</td><td>414</td><td>1.1</td><td>715</td><td>1.9</td></tr><tr><td>Portugal</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>1057</td><td>10.1</td><td>868</td><td>8.4</td><td>973</td><td>9.4</td><td>790</td><td>7.7</td><td>887</td><td>8.6</td></tr><tr><td>Romania</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>1039</td><td>5.5</td><td>525</td><td>2.8</td><td>348</td><td>1.8</td><td>300</td><td>1.6</td><td>805</td><td>4.1</td></tr><tr><td>Slovakia</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>5665</td><td>104.4</td><td>4777</td><td>87.9</td><td>6099</td><td>111.7</td><td>4921</td><td>90.2</td><td>7690</td><td>141.1</td></tr><tr><td>Slovenia</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>995</td><td>47.0</td><td>938</td><td>44.5</td><td>856</td><td>40.6</td><td>811</td><td>38.7</td><td>1085</td><td>52.1</td></tr><tr><td>Spain<sup>e</sup></td><td>N</td><td>C</td><td>28,822</td><td>74.9</td><td>20,816</td><td>60.1</td><td>20,748</td><td>60.0</td><td>6891</td><td>–</td><td>9658</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Sweden</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>5676</td><td>53.9</td><td>5165</td><td>49.4</td><td>4059</td><td>39.1</td><td>3435</td><td>33.3</td><td>6693</td><td>65.4</td></tr><tr><td><strong>EU Total 27</strong></td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td><strong>148,181</strong></td><td><strong>45.7</strong></td><td><strong>139,225</strong></td><td><strong>43.8</strong></td><td><strong>140,666</strong></td><td><strong>44.2</strong></td><td><strong>121,752</strong></td><td><strong>40.6</strong></td><td><strong>163,586</strong></td><td><strong>54.6</strong></td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>58,718</td><td>88.1</td></tr><tr><td><strong>EU Total</strong></td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td><strong>148,181</strong></td><td><strong>45.7</strong></td><td><strong>139,225</strong></td><td><strong>43.8</strong></td><td><strong>140,666</strong></td><td><strong>44.2</strong></td><td><strong>121,752</strong></td><td><strong>40.6</strong></td><td><strong>222,304</strong></td><td><strong>61.1</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Iceland</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>155</td><td>40.0</td><td>104</td><td>27.6</td><td>58</td><td>15.7</td><td>95</td><td>26.1</td><td>136</td><td>38.1</td></tr><tr><td>Norway</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>3034</td><td>55.3</td><td>2980</td><td>54.9</td><td>2049</td><td>38.0</td><td>2422</td><td>45.1</td><td>4154</td><td>78.0</td></tr><tr><td>Liechtenstein</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>48</td><td>121.0</td><td>50</td><td>127.2</td><td>38</td><td>97.3</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Switzerland<sup>f</sup></td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>6756</td><td>76.6</td><td>7551</td><td>86.4</td><td>6759</td><td>78.0</td><td>6157</td><td>71.5</td><td>7165</td><td>83.5</td></tr></tbody></table>

Abbreviation: –, Data not reported.

<sup>a</sup>Y, yes; N, no; A, aggregated data; C, case-based data.

<sup>b</sup>Sentinel surveillance; notification rates calculated with estimated coverage of 20%.

<sup>c</sup>Sentinel surveillance: no information on estimated coverage. Notification rate cannot be estimated.

<sup>d</sup>Sentinel surveillance; notification rates calculated with estimated coverage of 64% in 2021–2023 and 58% in 2019–2020.

<sup>e</sup>Sentinel surveillance; notification rates calculated with an estimated population coverage of 80% in 2023 and 73% in 2021–2022. No information on estimated coverage in 2019–2020, so notification rate cannot be estimated.

<sup>f</sup>Switzerland provided data directly to EFSA. The human data for Switzerland include data from Liechtenstein for the years 2019–2020.
Between 2014 and 2023, the number of confirmed campylobacteriosis cases reported in the EU showed a clear seasonal trend, peaking in the summer months. Annual winter peaks were also observed in January from 2014 to 2023, although peak numbers were lower than those observed during the summer. However, the overall campylobacteriosis trend in 2019–2023 showed no statistically significant increase or decrease (Figure 1). Cyprus, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta and Spain reported a significantly increasing trend (p < 0.05) during the period 2019–2023. No country recorded a significant decreasing trend.

<figure><img src="image_15.png" /><figcaption>**FIGURE 1** Trend in reported confirmed human cases of campylobacteriosis in the EU, by month, 2019–2023. Source: Austria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.</figcaption></figure>

*Campylobacter* species information was provided by 22 MSs for 57.3% of confirmed cases reported in the EU, representing a slight decrease on 2022 (60.4%). Of these cases, 87.3% were *Campylobacter jejuni*, 11.0% *C. coli*, 0.21% *C. upsaliensis*, 0.20% *C. fetus* and 0.08% *C. lari*. Other *Campylobacter* species accounted for 1.3% of cases, but most of these were reported at the national level as '*C. jejuni' / *C. coli* / *C. lari* not differentiated'. Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark and Latvia provided no information on species.

### 1.4.3 | *Campylobacter* in food

#### *Campylobacter* data in the context of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005

The *Campylobacter* PHC monitoring data are presented in Table 6. Twenty-four Member States and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) reported data for 2023 in the context of the *Campylobacter* process hygiene criterion, set out in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005. Ad hoc official sampling results were reported by 15 MSs, while monitoring results from FBOps were reported by 20 MSs and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland), and data from both samplers were provided by 11 MSs.

Concerning official control samples (N=6686), 16.0% exceeded the limit of 1000 CFU/g, showing a decrease from the 19.4% observed in 2022. Considerable variability was observed in the percentage of test results exceeding the limit. In particular, Romania and Estonia reported no positive samples exceeding 1000 CFU/g, while four MSs (Bulgaria, Hungary, the Netherlands and Poland) reported between 1.0% and 8.5% of samples exceeding the limit. Conversely, nine MSs reported a higher percentage of samples above the limit, ranging from 11.6% to 46.0%. Twelve out of fifteen MSs reported *Campylobacter*-positive samples both below and above the limit, with 2532 positive samples (39.3%) out of 6445 samples tested.

Concerning FBOp results for neck skin samples from own-check sampling activities (N=61,591), 15.8% exceeded the limit of 1000 CFU/g, showing a decrease from 17.5% observed in 2022. No positive samples exceeding the limit were reported by Romania, while five MSs (Estonia, Finland, Greece, Poland and Sweden) recorded less than 3.2% of samples exceeding
the limit. The remaining 14 MSs reported a moderate range in the percentage of samples exceeding the limit, from 4.7% to 35.4%. Fifteen out of twenty MSs and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) reported *Campylobacter*-positive samples both below and above the limit, with 12,515 positive samples (42.0%) out of 29,757 samples tested. Three non-EU MSs (Iceland, Montenegro and Switzerland) reported 2.4%, 8.0% and 21.2% FBOp samples exceeding the limit, respectively.

Eleven MSs reported results from both samplers, showing that the overall percentage of samples exceeding the limit was significantly higher for official control samples (16.6%) than for own-checks (9.0%). A significantly higher percentage of samples above the limit was also observed in official samples compared to FBOp samples in seven MSs (Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland and Spain), while in the Netherlands, FBOp results exceeding the limit were higher than official samples.
<table><caption>**TABLE 6** Comparison of proportions (%) of samples exceeding the Campylobacter PHC limit collected from the neck skins of chilled broiler carcases sampled at slaughterhouses in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Country</th><th colspan="3">Competent Authority (CA)</th><th colspan="4">Food business operator (FBOp)</th></tr><tr><th>N samples tested</th><th>N (%) samples above 1000 CFU/g</th><th>Cl<sub>95</sub> samples above 1000 CFU/g</th><th>N samples tested</th><th>N (%) samples above 1000 CFU/g</th><th>Cl<sub>95</sub> samples above 1000 CFU/g</th><th>p-value<sup>a</sup></th><th>Interpretation<sup>b</sup></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Austria</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>978</td><td>134 (13.7)</td><td>[11.6; 16.0]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Belgium</td><td>567</td><td>66 (11.6)</td><td>[9.1; 14.6]</td><td>2817</td><td>190 (6.7)</td><td>[5.8; 7.7]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA&gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Bulgaria</td><td>390</td><td>4 (1.0)</td><td>[0.28; 2.6]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Cyprus</td><td>165</td><td>74 (44.8)</td><td>[37.1; 52.8]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Czechia</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>3246</td><td>1149 (35.4)</td><td>[33.8; 37.1]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Denmark</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1065</td><td>94 (8.8)</td><td>[7.2; 10.7]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Estonia</td><td>14</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 23.2]<sup>b</sup></td><td>346</td><td>10 (2.9)</td><td>[1.4; 5.3]</td><td>NS</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Finland</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>590</td><td>2 (0.34)</td><td>[0.04; 1.2]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>France</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>18,191</td><td>4260 (23.4)</td><td>[22.8; 24.0]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>11</td><td>2 (18.2)</td><td>[2.3; 51.8]</td><td>6266</td><td>616 (9.8)</td><td>[9.1; 10.6]</td><td>NS</td><td>CA&gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Greece</td><td>90</td><td>40 (44.4)</td><td>[34.0; 55.3]</td><td>5010</td><td>94 (1.9)</td><td>[1.5; 2.3]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA&gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Hungary</td><td>661</td><td>56 (8.5)</td><td>[6.5; 10.9]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Ireland</td><td>181</td><td>21 (11.6)</td><td>[7.3; 17.2]</td><td>1210</td><td>98 (8.1)</td><td>[6.6; 9.8]</td><td>0.058</td><td>CA&gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Italy</td><td>1374</td><td>298 (21.7)</td><td>[19.5; 24.0]</td><td>5557</td><td>784 (14.1)</td><td>[13.2; 15.1]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA&gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Latvia</td><td>100</td><td>46 (46.0)</td><td>[36.0; 56.3]</td><td>522</td><td>176 (33.7)</td><td>[29.7; 38.0]</td><td>0.0094</td><td>CA&gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Lithuania</td><td>230</td><td>66 (28.7)</td><td>[22.9; 35.0]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Netherlands</td><td>323</td><td>12 (3.7)</td><td>[1.9; 6.4]</td><td>3335</td><td>213 (6.4)</td><td>[5.6; 7.3]</td><td>0.0282</td><td>CA&lt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Poland</td><td>1500</td><td>88 (5.9)</td><td>[4.7; 7.2]</td><td>1050</td><td>34 (3.2)</td><td>[2.3; 4.5]</td><td>0.0011</td><td>CA&gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Portugal</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>3556</td><td>971 (27.3)</td><td>[25.8; 28.8]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Romania</td><td>15</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 21.8]<sup>b</sup></td><td>1140</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.32]<sup>b</sup></td><td>NS</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Slovakia</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>466</td><td>22 (4.7)</td><td>[3.0; 7.1]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Slovenia</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>833</td><td>227 (27.3)</td><td>[24.3; 30.4]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Spain</td><td>1065</td><td>299 (28.1)</td><td>[25.4; 30.9]</td><td>3760</td><td>565 (15.0)</td><td>[13.9; 16.2]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA&gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Sweden</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1018</td><td>18 (1.8)</td><td>[1.1; 2.8]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>635</td><td>50 (7.9)</td><td>[5.9; 10.2]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>EU Total (27 + XI)</td><td>6686</td><td>1072 (16.0)</td><td>[15.2; 16.9]</td><td>61,591</td><td>9707 (15.8)</td><td>[15.5; 16.1]</td><td>NS</td><td>CA&gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>EU Total (27 + XI) providing CA and FBOp data</td><td>5240</td><td>872 (16.6)</td><td>[15.6; 17.7]</td><td>31,013</td><td>2780 (9.0)</td><td>[8.6; 9.3]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA&gt; FBOp</td></tr></tbody></table>

Abbreviation: –, Data not reported.

<footnote>a p-value: NS, not significant.</footnote>

<footnote>b One-sided, 97.5% confidence interval.</footnote>
## Other food monitoring data

In 2023, the occurrence of *Campylobacter* in sampling units from the main RTE and non-RTE food categories was 0.13% and 14.2%, respectively.

In 2023, most of the results from the 3070 RTE food sampling units reported by 11 MSs originated from 'fruit, vegetables and juices' (31.8%), followed by 'meat and meat products' (25.6%) and 'milk and milk products' (22.2%). In total, *Campylobacter* was detected in four RTE food samples: three from live bivalve molluscs (oysters) and one from unspecified RTE foods. During the period 2019–2022, the percentage of *Campylobacter*-positive sampling units in RTE food was very low, at 0.18%, of the 12,926 sampling units tested, consistently remaining below 1.0% across the main RTE categories. However, despite the small number of units tested, the 'fish and fishery products - RTE' category showed the highest percentage of positive samples, at 4.0% (N = 149).

The results reported in 2023 by 15 MSs for non-RTE food (N = 8588) showed that 'meat and meat products' was the most contaminated food category (15.5%), followed by 'other food' (9.3%). During the period 2019–2022, out of 82,903 sampling units tested, 'meat and meat products' (17.4%) was the most contaminated food category, followed by 'other food' (2.4%) and 'milk and milk products' (1.3%).

Twelve MSs reported 14.1% of sampling units as positive for fresh meat categories. The percentage of *Campylobacter*-positive units was higher for meat from broilers (21.6%) and turkeys (19.4%), followed by 'other fresh meat' (11.6%). The percentage for fresh meat from pigs and bovine animals remained very low at 0.37% and 0.11%, respectively. For 'other food' all the positive units were reported by a single MS from 'fish and fishery products - non-RTE'.

In 2023, a slight decrease was reported in the percentage of positive units compared with the period 2019–2022 for non-RTE food (14.2% compared with 15.9%) and fresh meat (14.1% compared with 16.9%).

### 1.4.4 | *Campylobacter* in animals

Table 7 shows the number of positive *Campylobacter* spp. samples detected during 2023 in the five main animal species, as well as in the 'other animals' category containing several different animal groups. In total, 16 MSs and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) and 3 non-MSs reported data, from broilers (30.1%, N = 9405), followed by cats and dogs (24.5%, N = 7662), bovine animals (20.2%, N = 6320), small ruminants (9.5%, N = 2951) and pigs (7.6%, N = 2365).

The overall proportion of positive units in the EU was highest in pigs (72.3%) followed by small ruminants (7.2%), bovine animals (6.8%), broilers (4.6%), and cats and dogs (1.4%). For 'other animals', comprising around 50 animal categories, the proportion of positive samples was 11.7%, mostly coming from land game mammals (13.0%) and birds (9.3%).

<table><caption>TABLE 7 Summary of *Campylobacter* statistics relating to major animal species, reporting EU MSs and non-MS countries, 2023.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="3">Animals</th><th colspan="4">EU MSs</th><th colspan="4">Non-MS countries</th></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">N reporting countries</th><th rowspan="2">N tested<sup>a</sup> sampling units</th><th colspan="2">Positive Sampling units</th><th rowspan="2">N reporting countries</th><th rowspan="2">N tested<sup>a</sup> sampling units</th><th colspan="2">Positive sampling units</th></tr><tr><th>N</th><th>%</th><th>N</th><th>%</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Gallus gallus (broilers)</td><td>3</td><td>6627</td><td>305</td><td>4.6</td><td>2</td><td>2778</td><td>145</td><td>5.2</td></tr><tr><td>Bovine animals<sup>b</sup></td><td>12</td><td>5939</td><td>401</td><td>6.8</td><td>2</td><td>381</td><td>188</td><td>49.3</td></tr><tr><td>Pigs</td><td>11</td><td>2055</td><td>1486</td><td>72.3</td><td>1</td><td>310</td><td>243</td><td>78.4</td></tr><tr><td>Small ruminants</td><td>8</td><td>2935</td><td>210</td><td>7.2</td><td>1</td><td>16</td><td>1</td><td>6.3</td></tr><tr><td>Cats and dogs</td><td>4</td><td>6301</td><td>90</td><td>1.4</td><td>2</td><td>1361</td><td>122</td><td>9.0</td></tr><tr><td>Other animals<sup>c</sup></td><td>7</td><td>2220</td><td>259</td><td>11.7</td><td>2</td><td>289</td><td>28</td><td>9.7</td></tr></tbody><tfoot><tr><th>Total</th><td>17</td><td>26,077</td><td>2751</td><td>10.5</td><td>3</td><td>5135</td><td>727</td><td>14.2</td></tr></tfoot></table>

Abbreviation: MSs, Member States.

### 1.4.5 | Occurrence of *Campylobacter* in animals based on data from harmonised monitoring of antimicrobial resistance (Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1729)

In 2023, AMR monitoring provided data on the prevalence of positive samples of *C. jejuni* and *C. coli* for cattle under 1 year of age and fattening pigs.

<footnote><sup>a</sup>Summary statistics were obtained by totalling all sampling units (single samples, batch samples, animals, slaughter animal batches and herds or flocks).</footnote>

<footnote><sup>b</sup>Animals from the sampling stage 'Artificial insemination stations' in 'sampling stage' were not included in the count of the units tested.</footnote>

<footnote><sup>c</sup>Alpacas, Antelopes, Badgers, Bears, Birds, Bison, Budgerigars, Buffalos, Camels, Canaries, Cantabrian chamois, Capybaras, Cheetahs, Chinchillas, Crows, Deer, Doves, Dromedaries, Ducks, Foxes, *Gallus gallus* (other than broilers), Giraffes, Guinea pigs, Gulls, Hedgehogs, Jays, Kangaroos, Land game mammals, Lions, Llamas, Magpies, Mice, Monkeys, Mouflons, Okapis, Other animals, Other carnivores, Other mustelids, Owls, Parrots, Passeriformes, Peafowl, Penguins, Pheasants, Pigeons, Polar bears, Unspecified poultry, unspecified, Quails, Rabbits, Reptiles, Rodents, Rodents, Domestic solipeds, Squirrels, Steinbocks, Tigers, Turkeys, Turtles, Wallabies, Wild boars, Wolves, All zoo animals.</footnote>
Eleven MSs reported information on 3477 units tested for *Campylobacter* from cattle under 1 year of age. In the EU, 43.6% of samples were positive for *C. jejuni*, with positivity levels consistently above 20% among the MSs. Conversely, *C. coli* was found at a moderate level of 14%, with six MSs showing low prevalence of positive samples (< 8.0%).

Twenty-seven MSs reported data on 7041 units from fattening pigs tested for *Campylobacter*. Among these, *C. jejuni* was reported by 13 MSs, with a total of 47 positive units, showing a very low prevalence of positive samples (0.7%). Meanwhile, a very high proportion of *C. coli* in fattening pigs (66.4%) was reported in the EU. Twenty-two MSs showed very and extremely high levels of *C. coli* in samples from fattening pigs (> 50%).

**1.5 | Discussion**

Campylobacteriosis has been the most frequently reported zoonosis in humans across the EU since the beginning of EU level surveillance in 2007. Despite comprehensive surveillance and national coverage in most MSs, the number of reported cases is underestimated in the EU (Teunis et al., 2013). The number of campylobacteriosis cases confirmed in 2023 and the notification rate were slightly higher compared to 2022. It is noteworthy that, despite the relatively small increase observed, approximately half of EU MSs did not return to pre-pandemic notification rates. No specific causes have been reported to explain this phenomenon in the EU. The overall campylobacteriosis trend in 2019–2023 showed no statistically significant increase or decrease.

Most of the reported campylobacteriosis cases were acquired in the reporting country in the EU, as in previous years. However, the proportion and number of cases of travel-associated campylobacteriosis infections increased in 2023 compared with the period 2021–2022, reflecting a gradual resumption of international travel after the COVID-19 pandemic.

*Campylobacter* has characteristic seasonality, with cases increasing sharply in the summer. Campylobacteriosis cases have been positively associated with temperature and, to a lesser degree, precipitation (Austhof et al., 2024; Lake et al., 2019). Recent studies have even shown a possible association between campylobacteriosis and global climate change (Kuhn et al., 2020).

A smaller but distinct winter peak in the EU has become apparent in the past 10 years, including in 2023. Disease onset in cases that were notified during the winter peaks occurred predominantly in January. This points to exposure around the Christmas/New Year period. Reports indicate that meat fondues or table-top grilling, which are popular during the festive season, could promote the transmission of *Campylobacter* in some countries, causing the winter peak (Bless et al., 2017; Rosner et al., 2021).

As in previous years, *C. jejuni* and *C. coli* were the main species notified by MSs in 2023, although there was still a fairly high percentage of campylobacteriosis cases (42.7%) in which the species was not determined. Furthermore, the proportion of isolates characterised at the species level was lower than the previous year, indicating that further improvements and efforts are needed in species identification and reporting capacities. A One Health approach, using whole genome sequencing (WGS) for typing *Campylobacter* isolates in humans, food and animals will contribute to better species characterisation and enhance the monitoring of zoonotic transmission, improving public health surveillance.

In 2023, all EU MSs except for Croatia, reported information on the occurrence of *Campylobacter* in either animals, food or feed. Data were also reported by Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland). As part of a food safety control strategy, 24 EU MSs and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) submitted *Campylobacter* PHC monitoring results, with 11 MSs reporting both results from official control samples and own-check samples. The PHC aims to decrease *Campylobacter* counts on broiler carcases and to minimise human campylobacteriosis cases caused by consuming or handling contaminated chicken/broiler meat. A recent report showed that a 3-log10 reduction in broiler caecal concentrations would lead to a significant 58.0% decrease in the campylobacteriosis risk from broiler meat across the EU (EFSA BIOHAZ Panel, 2020).

Both official control and FBOp monitoring data showed that about one in six samples exceeded the limit of 1000 CFU/g. For the MSs that submitted data from both samplers, 1 in 6 from the CA and 1 in 11 from FBOps exceeded the limit, highlighting discrepancies between the two sampling strategies for the fourth consecutive year. While the EU saw a slight decrease in samples exceeding the limit compared to 2022, individual MSs showed variable increases or decreases. In 2023, contamination levels varied widely across MSs, from very low to high. These variations can be partially explained by differences in geographical contexts and/or biosecurity farm management practices, and deserve more thorough investigation in order to identify the critical parameters and factors driving these differences.

Moreover, although not all MSs reported *Campylobacter*-positive samples below the limit of 1000 CFU/g in 2023, the contamination of broiler carcases in the EU remained similar to 2022, at approximately 40%. Overall, the *Campylobacter* PHC monitoring results underlined poultry as a significant source of campylobacteriosis in the EU.

Monitoring of other food in the EU showed overall percentages of *Campylobacter*-positive units in RTE and non-RTE foods of 0.13% and 14.2%, respectively. Although the presence of *Campylobacter* in RTE foods was very low and has remained stable over the years, these findings are of concern given that contaminated RTE products directly expose consumers to infection.

Among RTE foods, it is noteworthy that three sample units of oysters were found to be contaminated with *Campylobacter*, confirming the positive results observed in bivalve molluscs for the third consecutive year. During the period 2019–2022, very low percentages of positivity were found for all the RTE meat products, milk, fruit, vegetables, juices and other RTE foods. However, the percentage of positive sample units was higher, at around 4.0%, in fish and fishery products,
particularly bivalve molluscs. Given the common practice of consuming raw shellfish in certain European sub-regions, the risk of campylobacteriosis from these sources is noteworthy (Teunis et al., 1997). It should also be noted that these data originated from a single MS, highlighting the need to increase the sampling frequency for food products consumed raw (such as scallops, mussels and oysters) across regions in the EU. The generally small sample sizes may have led to imprecise estimates concerning the occurrence of *Campylobacter* in RTE food samples.

Monitoring data for non-RTE food showed positive results for one in six 'meat and meat products', while no positive results were observed for 'milk and milk products'. A moderate proportion of positive findings, specifically 14.8% (N = 189), was reported in bivalve molluscs (mussels) by a single MS, similar to the scenario observed in RTE foods. *Campylobacter* contamination in fresh meat categories remained moderate in 2023, with meats from broilers and turkeys being far more contaminated than those from pigs and cattle. Although caution is required when interpreting trend results, due to non-harmonised monitoring, the data still consistently underline the significant role of these products in spreading campylobacteriosis. This may occur either through direct handling or by cross-contaminating other foods (Wagenaar et al., 2013).

In 2023, 16 MSs, the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) and 3 non-MSs reported data from several animal groups. *Campylobacter* spp. were detected in all the major animal categories: broilers, pigs, bovine animals, small ruminants, cats and dogs. Broilers, cats and dogs and bovine animals (cattle) were tested most frequently and accounted for 74.9% of test results. The highest percentage of positive units, however, was observed for pigs.

In 2023, prevalence data from EU AMR monitoring of bovine animals under 1 year of age and fattening pigs were analysed. A high percentage of samples from cattle under 1 year of age were positive for *C. jejuni* (> 40.0%), being detected four times more often than *C. coli*. In contrast, a very high percentage of samples from fattening pigs was positive for *C. coli* (> 60.0%), which was detected 50 times more frequently than *C. jejuni*. These data confirm that *Campylobacter* is commonly present in cattle and pigs, and highlight the ability of *C. coli* to colonise pigs more effectively than *C. jejuni*, which is more common in cattle. The data confirm that cattle and pigs are a potential source of human campylobacteriosis (Domingues et al., 2012).
2 | SALMONELLA

<figure><img src="image_16.png" /></figure>

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The summary data which make up this chapter, as well as additional information on related projects and internet sources, are published for this report on the EFSA Knowledge Junction at Zenodo [here]. Summary statistics on human surveillance data with downloadable files are retrievable using the ECDC Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases available [here].

For additional information about *Salmonella* and for the consultation of data collected, the following interactive tools are available:

Salmonella

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DASHBOARD

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Salmonella

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STORY MAP

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## 2.1 | Key facts

* Salmonellosis was the second most commonly reported food-borne gastrointestinal infection in humans in the European Union.

* In 2023, there were 77,486 confirmed cases of human salmonellosis, corresponding to a European Union notification rate of 18.0 cases per 100,000 population. This was an increase of 16.9% compared with the rate in 2022 (15.4 cases per 100,000 population).

* The overall trend for *Salmonella* infections did not show any significant increase or decrease in the 2019–2023 period.

* The top five European Union-acquired *Salmonella* serovars involved in human infections were distributed as follows: S. Enteritidis (70.8%), S. Typhimurium (8.9%), monophasic S. Typhimurium (1,4,[5],12:i:-) (5.1%), S. Infantis (2.0%) and S. Coeln (0.77%).

* In the context of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on food safety criteria, 'fresh poultry meat' was the most contaminated matrix at the distribution stage with 9.0% *Salmonella*-positive official control samples, followed by 'meat products made from poultry meat intended to be eaten cooked' (8.1%), 'mechanically separated meat' (7.1%) and 'minced meat and meat preparations made from poultry meat intended to be eaten cooked' (6.6%).

* In the context of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, Member States reported the highest proportions of *Salmonella*-positive samples during compliance checks for process hygiene criteria at slaughterhouses among those collected by the competent authorities for turkeys (18.9%) and for broilers (17.8%). Lower prevalence was observed in pigs (4.1%), goats (3.5%), cattle (1.4%) and sheep (1.4%). For samples collected by food business operators, the proportions of *Salmonella*-positive samples were significantly lower: 2.8% for turkeys, 2.6% for broilers, 1.0% for pigs, 1.3% for goats, 0.49% for cattle and 0.76% for sheep.

* In 2023, a very low (0.25%) *Salmonella* prevalence was found in 'ready-to-eat' food sampling units (N=86,115) reported by 24 Member States, with the highest levels of contamination found in 'sprouts (sprouted seeds)' (1.4%; N=644). Of 478,743 'non-ready-to-eat' sampling units reported by 28 Member States, 2.2% were positive, with the highest levels of contamination found in 'meat and meat products from turkeys' (4.3%; N=16,533) and 'meat and meat products from broilers' (4.1%; N=106,699).

* Fifteen Member States and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) met all *Salmonella* reduction targets for poultry populations in their control programmes, indicating a worsening compared to previous years. Three Member States failed to meet targets for breeding *Gallus gallus*, seven for laying hens and two for broiler flocks. However, all Member States successfully met the targets for fattening turkeys and breeding turkeys.

* For broilers and fattening turkeys, the European Union-level prevalence of target *Salmonella* serovar-positive flocks reported by food business operators was significantly lower than that reported by competent authorities.

* Over the long-term period (2007–2023), a significant decrease in the European Union-level prevalence of target *Salmonella* serovar-positive flocks was observed in breeding *G. gallus*, laying hens and broilers. However, in the short term (2019–2023), no notable trends – either an increase or decrease – were detected in any of the poultry populations. Regarding *Salmonella* spp., a significant reduction in European Union-level flock prevalence was identified only in laying hens over the long-term period.

* *Salmonella* Enteritidis was the most commonly reported serovar in the 'laying hens-eggs' source and the third most common in both the 'broilers-broiler meat' and 'bovine animals-bovine meat' sources. *Salmonella* Infantis was by far the dominant serovar in the 'broilers-broiler meat' source and ranked among the top four serovars across all considered food-animal sources. In the 'pigs-pig meat' source, the most common serovars were the monophasic variant of S. Typhimurium and S. Derby. In the 'bovine animals-bovine meat' source, S. Dublin and S. Typhimurium were the most commonly reported serovars.

## 2.2 | Surveillance and monitoring of *Salmonella* in the EU

### 2.2.1 | Humans

For 2023, all 27 EU MSs reported information on non-typhoidal salmonellosis infections in humans. The notification of salmonellosis is mandatory in 24 EU MSs, whereas it is voluntary in 3 MSs (Belgium, France and the Netherlands). The EU case definition was used by 24 MSs, while 3 MSs (France, Germany and Italy) reported using other case definitions. All countries except the Netherlands had a comprehensive surveillance system. The surveillance systems for salmonellosis covered the whole population in all MSs except three: Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. The estimated coverage of the surveillance system was 85% in Belgium, 64% in the Netherlands and 80% in Spain. These estimated proportions of population coverage were used in the calculation of notification rates for these MSs. No estimated population coverage was provided for 2019–2020 in Spain, so notification rates were not calculated. All countries reported case-based data except Bulgaria and Croatia, which reported aggregated data.
## 2.2.2 | Food, animals and feed

### Salmonella data in the context of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 lays down microbiological criteria, intended as food safety criteria (FSC) and process hygiene criteria (PHC), for *Salmonella* in specific food categories. Compliance with these criteria must be legally verified by the individual food business operator (FBOp) as part of their own Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) programme.<fnref n="17" /> In addition, the competent authority (CA), through official sampling or oversight of data, should verify compliance by the FBOp. The *Salmonella* FSC require that *Salmonella* spp. not be detected in different products during their shelf-life with the exception of fresh poultry meat (from species covered by national control programmes (NCPs)), whose FSC require the absence of target serovars (S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium including monophasic S. Typhimurium (1,4,[5],12:i:-)<fnref n="18" />). The *Salmonella* PHC are regulated for carcases of pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, broilers and turkeys, as sampled by the FBOp. Moreover, in accordance with CIR (EU) 2019/627, the CA has to verify whether the FBOp correctly implements and checks these PHC for carcases.

### Data from national control programmes for *Salmonella* in poultry populations

In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003¹⁹ and its subsequent amendments, MSs have to set up national control programmes for *Salmonella* aimed at reducing the prevalence of *Salmonella* serovars that are considered relevant for public health (from this point forward, termed 'target serovars').

### Other monitoring data for food, animals and feed including serovars

Food, animal and feed data other than those described above are not collected in a harmonised way, because there are no specific legal requirements. The reported occurrence of *Salmonella* in the main food categories was descriptively summarised, with a distinction being made between 'ready-to-eat (RTE) and non-RTE food'. Data sets are extracted with 'objective sampling' being specified as the sampling strategy, which means that samples were representative of the population being analysed and were collected in accordance with a planned strategy.

The occurrence of *Salmonella* in animal populations is descriptively summarised considering all data collected in different sampling contexts and reported as different sampling units (e.g. 'holding', 'herd/flock', 'animal' and 'slaughter animal batch'), with the exception of data related to poultry populations covered by NCPs, which have been discussed separately.

The reported data on *Salmonella* serovars are also descriptively summarised. For this purpose, only isolates with the complete antigenic formula and/or serovar name were considered. MSs are required to report the target serovars as part of their NCPs for poultry, whereas for samples collected in different contexts, serotyping is not mandatory. Also, for the food sector, serotyping is only mandatory for fresh poultry meat, since for this category, the FSC is the absence of target serovars. The compulsory reporting of target serovars in these contexts guarantees the consistency of such data over the years and among MSs, but could result in the prevalence of these target serovars being overestimated compared with the other serovars.

## 2.3 | Data analyses

### 2.3.1 | Comparison between competent authority and food business operator sampling results

CA and FBOp *Salmonella* results in the context of NCPs for those poultry populations requiring separate reporting (i.e. broilers and fattening and breeding turkeys) were compared, as were *Salmonella* PHC monitoring data from carcases. The significance of differences was verified by the one-tailed Fisher's exact probability test, in cases where the expected values in any of the cells of a contingency table were below five; otherwise, the z-statistic one-tailed test was performed. CA control sampling results and the own-check results of the FBOp were expressed as prevalence and exact binomial confidence interval (95% level). A p-value < 0.10 (Clayton & Hills, 2013) was considered significant, to include all possible evidence of differences between data collected by the FBOp and CA.

R software (www.r-project.org, version 4.2.3) was used to conduct the above-mentioned analyses.

<footnote n="17">¹⁷Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 1–54.</footnote>

<footnote n="18">¹⁸Commission Regulation (EU) No 1086/2011 of 27 October 2011 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 as regards *salmonella* in fresh poultry meat Text with EEA relevance. OJ L 281, 28.10.2011, p. 7–11.</footnote>

<footnote n="19">¹⁹Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the control of *Salmonella* and other specified food-borne zoonotic agents. OJ L 325, 12.12.2003, p. 1–15.</footnote>
## 2.3.2 | Statistical trend analyses for poultry monitoring data

Statistical trend analyses were carried out with the objective of evaluating the significance of temporal variations in the EU-level flock prevalence of *Salmonella* spp. and target *Salmonella* serovars in poultry since the start of NCP implementation.

The tested flocks can be either positive or negative for target serovars and *Salmonella* spp., and so the status of the flocks is a dichotomous outcome variable. Therefore, the binomial probability distribution for the response variable was assumed and the logit link function was computed in the model for the trend analysis. The logit is defined as the logarithm of $p/(1 - p)$, where $p/(1 - p)$ is the odds of being positive for *Salmonella* spp.

Temporal flock prevalence trends in the MSs were analysed using both linear and B-spline models to estimate the probability of *Salmonella*-positive flocks across different poultry populations over the entire period of NCP implementation. This approach provided a comprehensive overview of trends. Special focus was placed on the last 5 years to identify any significant increase in the flock prevalence of *Salmonella* spp. or target *Salmonella* serovars. The trend analysis was conducted using generalised linear mixed models for repeated measures, accounting for the variability among MSs (EFSA, 2009a; EFSA, 2011). To take into account the different levels (baselines) of probability of MSs having positive flocks, yet with similar patterns over time, a random MS-specific intercept effect was included in the model. To evaluate the trend over time, the 'time' variable was included in the model as a fixed effect. The correlation between repeated observations in the same MS in subsequent years was considered using a first autoregressive or exchangeable structure of the correlation matrix for the residuals. To evaluate the significance of the overall effect of fixed factors specified in the model, Type III F-tests were applied, whereas the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the goodness of fit of the model. A $p$-value < 0.10 was considered to be significant for both random and fixed effects.

GLIMMIX and SGPLOT procedures in SAS 9.4 software were used to fit the models and produce the graphical outputs, respectively.

Details about the estimated parameters of the models, odds ratios, prevalence rates and graphical analyses (conditional and marginal) are reported in the supporting information for this report ('*Salmonella* poultry outcome trend analyses' Excel file, at Zenodo [here].)

## 2.3.3 | Descriptive analyses of *Salmonella* serovars

With the aims of evaluating the distribution of *Salmonella* serovars across the food chain and identifying potential sources of human infections, a Sankey diagram was provided to link the food and food-producing animal sources to the five most commonly reported *Salmonella* serovars from human cases acquired within the EU (domestically or during travel within the EU). For animal categories covered by NCPs, only serovar data reported in the context of these programmes were presented. For cattle, meat-producing animals were considered, whereas for pigs, data from fattening animals were used. In addition to possible reporting biases as regards serovars, reporting for animal or food categories may also have been unbalanced and specific sources (e.g. cattle) may have been underrepresented.

# 2.4 | Results

## 2.4.1 | Overview of key statistics, EU, 2019–2023

### Humans

In total, the number of reported human salmonellosis cases and the notification rate were higher than in 2022 (Table 8). The number of reported human salmonellosis cases acquired in the EU (i.e. by domestic infection and through travel within the EU), the number of outbreak-related cases and the total number of food-borne salmonellosis outbreaks were higher in 2023 than in 2022. More detailed descriptions of these statistics are provided in the subsections below and in the chapter on food-borne outbreaks.

<table><caption>TABLE 8 Summary of *Salmonella* statistics relating to humans, major food categories and the main animal species, EU, 2019–2023.</caption><thead><tr><th></th><th>2023</th><th>2022</th><th>2021</th><th>2020</th><th>2019</th><th>Data source</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Humans</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Total number of confirmed cases</td><td>77,486</td><td>65,478</td><td>62,161</td><td>52,690</td><td>87,907</td><td>ECDC</td></tr><tr><td>Total number of confirmed cases/100,000 population (notification rate)</td><td>18.0</td><td>15.4</td><td>15.9</td><td>13.7</td><td>19.5</td><td>ECDC</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>27</td><td>27</td><td>27</td><td>27</td><td>28</td><td>ECDC</td></tr><tr><td>Infection acquired in the EU</td><td>46,548</td><td>40,643</td><td>44,000</td><td>38,247</td><td>58,157</td><td>ECDC</td></tr><tr><td>Infection acquired outside the EU</td><td>4768</td><td>3219</td><td>925</td><td>973</td><td>6342</td><td>ECDC</td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>(Continues)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><caption>TABLE 8 (Continued)</caption><thead><tr><th></th><th>2023</th><th>2022</th><th>2021</th><th>2020</th><th>2019</th><th>Data source</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Unknown travel status or unknown country of infection</td><td>26,170</td><td>21,616</td><td>17,236</td><td>13,470</td><td>23,408</td><td>ECDC</td></tr><tr><td>Number of outbreak-related cases</td><td>9210</td><td>6632</td><td>6755</td><td>3686</td><td>10,240</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Total number of outbreaks</td><td>1115</td><td>1014</td><td>773</td><td>694</td><td>1284</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Food<sup>a</sup></strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Meat and meat products</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>874,106</td><td>951,540</td><td>976,616</td><td>557,272</td><td>552,586</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>28</td><td>28</td><td>28</td><td>26</td><td>28</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Milk and milk products</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>62,529</td><td>68,740</td><td>43,907</td><td>38,492</td><td>46,797</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>25</td><td>24</td><td>25</td><td>24</td><td>25</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Fish and fishery products</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>20,201</td><td>22,797</td><td>14,882</td><td>16,486</td><td>13,974</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>25</td><td>25</td><td>25</td><td>23</td><td>24</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Eggs and egg products</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>20,260</td><td>19,105</td><td>14,696</td><td>11,579</td><td>12,093</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>20</td><td>22</td><td>22</td><td>18</td><td>21</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Fruits and vegetables (and juices)</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>19,574</td><td>17,763</td><td>12,502</td><td>17,222</td><td>17,068</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>25</td><td>25</td><td>23</td><td>23</td><td>22</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Animals<sup>a</sup></strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Gallus gallus (chickens)</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>745,671</td><td>742,299</td><td>811,823</td><td>619,772</td><td>752,145</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>28</td><td>28</td><td>28</td><td>26</td><td>27</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Turkeys</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>63,269</td><td>65,637</td><td>70,869</td><td>63,472</td><td>65,950</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>26</td><td>26</td><td>25</td><td>22</td><td>23</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Ducks and geese</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>2138</td><td>1187</td><td>3751</td><td>412</td><td>8700</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>7</td><td>6</td><td>10</td><td>6</td><td>9</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Pigs</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>24,133</td><td>15,283</td><td>16,689</td><td>17,234</td><td>18,619</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>15</td><td>15</td><td>15</td><td>10</td><td>14</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Cattle (bovine animals)</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Number of sampling units</td><td>28,862</td><td>22,904</td><td>26,061</td><td>28,363</td><td>86,871</td><td>EFSA</td></tr><tr><td>Number of reporting MSs</td><td>15</td><td>13</td><td>14</td><td>11</td><td>14</td><td>EFSA</td></tr></tbody></table>

Abbreviations: ECDC, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; EFSA, European Food Safety Authority; MSs, Member States.

## Food categories

In 2023, there was a general decrease in the number of sampling units reported compared to 2022 for the food categories 'meat and meat products', 'milk and milk products' and 'fish and fishery products'. Conversely, a slight increase was observed for 'fruits and vegetables (and juices)' and 'eggs and egg products'. However, for the latter category, this increase was accompanied by a reduction in the number of reporting MSs (Table 8).

## Animal categories

Across all animal categories, except 'turkeys', there was a general increase in the number of reported sampling units between 2022 and 2023. Additionally, the number of reporting MSs also rose for 'ducks and geese' as well as 'cattle (bovine animals)' (Table 8). More detailed descriptions of the above statistics are provided in the subsections below and in the chapter on food-borne outbreaks.

<footnote>aThe total number of sampling units was calculated by summing all reported sub-level entries for sampling units, stages, strategies and samplers, as listed in the EFSA Catalogue (EFSA and Ioannidou, 2019).</footnote>
## 2.4.2 | Human salmonellosis

In total, 77,486 human salmonellosis cases were reported by 27 MSs in 2023, corresponding to an EU notification rate of 18.0 cases per 100,000 population (Table 9), which was higher (16.9%) than the rate in 2022.

As in the previous year, the highest notification rates in 2023 were reported by Slovakia (73.7 cases per 100,000 population) and Czechia (69.1 cases per 100,000 population), while the lowest rates were reported by Portugal, Italy, Latvia, Cyprus, Romania and Ireland (≤ 7.6 cases per 100,000 population).

The proportion of domestic versus travel-associated cases varied markedly between countries, but most of the confirmed salmonellosis cases were acquired in the EU (60.1%); this rate was stable when compared with 2022 (62.3%). A relative decrease (11.5%) was observed when comparing the cases acquired in the EU with the mean for the years 2019–2022 (67.9%), even if the rate of the unknown travel status or unknown country of infection cases had a slight increase in 2019–2022. Considering all cases in EU MSs for which information on their importation status was available, the highest proportions of domestic cases were reported by Latvia (100%), Hungary (99.6%), Romania (99.4%) and Spain (99.3%). The highest proportions of travel-associated cases with known data were reported by three countries: the Netherlands (100%), Luxembourg (54.5%) and Sweden (53.3%).

However, with respect to the total number of cases of salmonellosis in these MSs, the proportion of unknown travel status accounted for 85.6%, 26.3% and 3.1%, respectively.

For travel-associated cases in the EU, the most probable countries of infection were Spain (22.7%), Greece (19.3%), Italy (12.2%) and Croatia (7.1%).

<table><caption>TABLE 9 Reported confirmed human cases of salmonellosis and notification rates per 100,000 population in EU MSs and non-MS countries, by country and year, 2019–2023.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="3">Country</th><th colspan="2">2023</th><th colspan="2">2022</th><th colspan="2">2021</th><th colspan="2">2020</th><th colspan="2">2019</th></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">National coverage<sup>a</sup></th><th rowspan="2">Data format<sup>a</sup></th><th colspan="2">Confirmed cases and rate</th><th colspan="2">Confirmed cases and rate</th><th colspan="2">Confirmed cases and rate</th><th colspan="2">Confirmed cases and rate</th></tr><tr><th>Cases</th><th>Rate</th><th>Cases</th><th>Rate</th><th>Cases</th><th>Rate</th><th>Cases</th><th>Rate</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Austria</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>1279</td><td>14.0</td><td>1192</td><td>13.3</td><td>993</td><td>11.1</td><td>817</td><td>9.2</td><td>1866</td><td>21.1</td></tr><tr><td>Belgium<sup>b</sup></td><td>N</td><td>C</td><td>2040</td><td>20.4</td><td>2375</td><td>24.1</td><td>2084</td><td>18.0</td><td>1595</td><td>13.8</td><td>2527</td><td>22.1</td></tr><tr><td>Bulgaria</td><td>Y</td><td>A</td><td>516</td><td>8.0</td><td>310</td><td>4.5</td><td>241</td><td>3.5</td><td>187</td><td>2.7</td><td>594</td><td>8.5</td></tr><tr><td>Croatia</td><td>Y</td><td>A</td><td>1269</td><td>33.0</td><td>1047</td><td>27.1</td><td>593</td><td>14.7</td><td>786</td><td>19.4</td><td>1308</td><td>32.1</td></tr><tr><td>Cyprus</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>64</td><td>7.0</td><td>66</td><td>7.3</td><td>41</td><td>4.6</td><td>70</td><td>7.9</td><td>62</td><td>7.1</td></tr><tr><td>Czechia</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>7482</td><td>69.1</td><td>7563</td><td>71.9</td><td>9894</td><td>94.3</td><td>10,516</td><td>98.3</td><td>13,009</td><td>122.2</td></tr><tr><td>Denmark</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>1206</td><td>20.3</td><td>898</td><td>15.3</td><td>692</td><td>11.8</td><td>614</td><td>10.5</td><td>1119</td><td>19.3</td></tr><tr><td>Estonia</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>168</td><td>12.3</td><td>134</td><td>10.1</td><td>112</td><td>8.4</td><td>91</td><td>6.8</td><td>150</td><td>11.3</td></tr><tr><td>Finland</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>803</td><td>14.4</td><td>666</td><td>12.0</td><td>474</td><td>8.6</td><td>516</td><td>9.3</td><td>1175</td><td>21.3</td></tr><tr><td>France<sup>c</sup></td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>11,848</td><td>17.4</td><td>11,162</td><td>16.4</td><td>9315</td><td>28.7</td><td>7071</td><td>21.9</td><td>8935</td><td>27.7</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>10,599</td><td>12.6</td><td>9064</td><td>10.9</td><td>8144</td><td>9.8</td><td>8664</td><td>10.4</td><td>13,494</td><td>16.3</td></tr><tr><td>Greece</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>936</td><td>9.0</td><td>640</td><td>6.1</td><td>284</td><td>2.7</td><td>381</td><td>3.6</td><td>643</td><td>6.0</td></tr><tr><td>Hungary</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>4416</td><td>46.0</td><td>3249</td><td>33.5</td><td>3298</td><td>33.9</td><td>2964</td><td>30.3</td><td>4452</td><td>45.6</td></tr><tr><td>Ireland</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>402</td><td>7.6</td><td>340</td><td>6.7</td><td>173</td><td>3.5</td><td>214</td><td>4.3</td><td>347</td><td>7.1</td></tr><tr><td>Italy</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>3333</td><td>5.6</td><td>3572</td><td>6.1</td><td>3768</td><td>6.4</td><td>2713</td><td>4.5</td><td>3256</td><td>5.4</td></tr><tr><td>Latvia</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>101</td><td>5.4</td><td>90</td><td>4.8</td><td>218</td><td>11.5</td><td>296</td><td>15.5</td><td>438</td><td>22.8</td></tr><tr><td>Lithuania</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>344</td><td>12.0</td><td>234</td><td>8.3</td><td>281</td><td>10.1</td><td>419</td><td>15.0</td><td>736</td><td>26.3</td></tr><tr><td>Luxembourg</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>167</td><td>25.3</td><td>161</td><td>24.9</td><td>133</td><td>21.0</td><td>93</td><td>14.9</td><td>131</td><td>21.3</td></tr><tr><td>Malta</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>169</td><td>31.2</td><td>199</td><td>38.2</td><td>249</td><td>48.2</td><td>176</td><td>34.2</td><td>131</td><td>26.5</td></tr><tr><td>Netherlands<sup>d</sup></td><td>N</td><td>C</td><td>1456</td><td>12.8</td><td>1027</td><td>9.1</td><td>862</td><td>7.7</td><td>695</td><td>6.2</td><td>1197</td><td>10.8</td></tr><tr><td>Poland</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>9196</td><td>25.0</td><td>6054</td><td>16.1</td><td>7708</td><td>20.4</td><td>5192</td><td>13.7</td><td>8373</td><td>22.0</td></tr><tr><td>Portugal</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>535</td><td>5.1</td><td>412</td><td>4.0</td><td>361</td><td>3.5</td><td>262</td><td>2.5</td><td>432</td><td>4.2</td></tr><tr><td>Romania</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>1388</td><td>7.3</td><td>1010</td><td>5.3</td><td>518</td><td>2.7</td><td>408</td><td>2.1</td><td>1383</td><td>7.1</td></tr><tr><td>Slovakia</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>3999</td><td>73.7</td><td>3669</td><td>67.5</td><td>4439</td><td>81.3</td><td>3385</td><td>62.0</td><td>4992</td><td>91.6</td></tr><tr><td>Slovenia</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>297</td><td>14.0</td><td>384</td><td>18.2</td><td>185</td><td>8.8</td><td>214</td><td>10.2</td><td>362</td><td>17.4</td></tr><tr><td>Spain<sup>e</sup></td><td>N</td><td>C</td><td>12,161</td><td>31.6</td><td>8832</td><td>25.5</td><td>6168</td><td>17.8</td><td>3526</td><td>-</td><td>5087</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>Sweden</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>1312</td><td>12.5</td><td>1128</td><td>10.8</td><td>933</td><td>9.0</td><td>825</td><td>8.0</td><td>1990</td><td>19.5</td></tr><tr><td>EU Total 27</td><td></td><td></td><td>77,486</td><td>18.0</td><td>65,478</td><td>15.4</td><td>62,161</td><td>15.8</td><td>52,690</td><td>13.7</td><td>78,189</td><td>20.4</td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>9718</td><td>14.6</td></tr></tbody></table>

(Continues)
<table><caption>TABLE 9 (Continued)</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="3">Country</th><th colspan="2">2023</th><th colspan="2">2022</th><th colspan="2">2021</th><th colspan="2">2020</th><th colspan="2">2019</th></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">National coverage<sup>a</sup></th><th rowspan="2">Data format<sup>a</sup></th><th colspan="2">Confirmed cases and rate</th><th colspan="2">Confirmed cases and rate</th><th colspan="2">Confirmed cases and rate</th><th colspan="2">Confirmed cases and rate</th></tr><tr><th>Cases</th><th>Rate</th><th>Cases</th><th>Rate</th><th>Cases</th><th>Rate</th><th>Cases</th><th>Rate</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>EU Total</td><td></td><td></td><td>77,486</td><td>18.0</td><td>65,478</td><td>15.4</td><td>62,161</td><td>15.8</td><td>52,690</td><td>13.7</td><td>87,907</td><td>19.5</td></tr><tr><td>Iceland</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>55</td><td>14.2</td><td>42</td><td>11.2</td><td>53</td><td>14.4</td><td>32</td><td>8.8</td><td>50</td><td>14.0</td></tr><tr><td>Norway</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>757</td><td>13.8</td><td>712</td><td>13.1</td><td>389</td><td>7.2</td><td>441</td><td>8.2</td><td>1092</td><td>20.5</td></tr><tr><td>Liechtenstein</td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>8</td><td>20.2</td><td>5</td><td>12.7</td><td>7</td><td>17.9</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Switzerland<sup>f</sup></td><td>Y</td><td>C</td><td>1823</td><td>20.7</td><td>1837</td><td>21.0</td><td>1476</td><td>16.9</td><td>1253</td><td>14.5</td><td>1534</td><td>17.9</td></tr></tbody></table>

Abbreviation: –, Data not reported.

<sup>a</sup>Y, yes; N, no; A, aggregated data; C, case-based data.

<sup>b</sup>In 2022 and 2023, notification rates were calculated with an estimated population coverage of 85%.

<sup>c</sup>Sentinel system until 2021; notification rates were calculated with an estimated population coverage of 48%. From 2022, voluntary system with population coverage of 100%.

<sup>d</sup>Sentinel system; notification rates were calculated with an estimated population coverage of 64%.

<sup>e</sup>Sentinel system; notification rates were calculated with an estimated population coverage of 80% in 2023 and 73% in 2021–2022. No information on estimated coverage in 2019–2020, so notification rate cannot be estimated.

<sup>f</sup>Switzerland provided data directly to EFSA. The human data for Switzerland include data from Liechtenstein for the years 2019–2020.

A seasonal trend was observed for confirmed salmonellosis cases in the EU in 2014–2023, with more cases reported during summer months (Figure 2). In 2023, a slight increase in notified human cases was registered compared with 2022. Notwithstanding, the overall trend for salmonellosis in 2019–2023 did not show any significant increase or decrease.

France, Spain and Luxembourg reported a significantly increasing trend ($p < 0.05$) in the last 5 years (2019–2023). No MSs reported a significantly decreasing trend ($p < 0.05$).

<figure><img src="image_23.png" /><figcaption>FIGURE 2 Trend in reported confirmed human cases of non-typhoidal salmonellosis in the EU by month, 2019–2023. Source: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.</figcaption></figure>
## 2.4.3 | Salmonella in food

### Data collected in the context of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005

#### Food safety criteria

The overall number of official single samples collected at the distribution stage (N=29,707 samples, 15 MSs) was nearly three times higher than that at the manufacturing stage (N=10,313 samples, 15 MSs) (Table 10). Compared with 2022, the percentage of *Salmonella*-positive samples at distribution remained stable (2.3% both in 2022 and in 2023), while positive samples at manufacturing decreased slightly (2.5% in 2023 and 3.4% in 2022).

'Fresh poultry meat' was the most contaminated matrix (9.0% at the distribution stage and 4.8% at manufacturing). 'Meat products made from poultry meat intended to be eaten cooked' ranked second (8.1% at distribution and 6.9% at manufacturing), followed by 'mechanically separated meat (MSM)' collected at distribution (7.1%) and 'minced meat and meat preparations made from poultry meat intended to be eaten cooked' (6.6% at distribution and 5.7% at manufacturing). Noteworthy percentages of *Salmonella*-positive samples were also observed in 'egg products' (3.6% at distribution), 'minced meat and meat preparations intended to be eaten raw' (2.6% at distribution) and 'sprouted seeds' (2.1% at distribution), all of which are RTE food products.

<table><caption>TABLE 10 Proportion (%) of *Salmonella*-positive samples from official sampling as part of the verification of *Salmonella* FSC in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005, by stage in the food chain, EU, 2023.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Food matrices</th><th colspan="3">Manufacturing stage (including processing)</th><th colspan="3">Distribution stage (including retail)</th></tr><tr><th>N MSs</th><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive</th><th>N MSs</th><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Cheeses, butter and cream made from raw milk or milk that has undergone a lower heat treatment than pasteurisation</td><td>9</td><td>1087</td><td>0 (0)</td><td>7</td><td>4938</td><td>2 (0.04)</td></tr><tr><td>Cooked crustaceans and molluscan shellfish</td><td>6</td><td>182</td><td>0 (0)</td><td>9</td><td>1096</td><td>9 (0.82)</td></tr><tr><td>Dried follow-on formulae</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Dried infant formulae and dried dietary foods for special medical purposes intended for infants below 6 months of age</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>7</td><td>1404</td><td>0 (0)</td></tr><tr><td>Egg products, excluding products where the manufacturing process or the composition of the product will eliminate the <i>Salmonella</i> risk</td><td>5</td><td>94</td><td>0 (0)</td><td>4</td><td>56</td><td>2 (3.6)</td></tr><tr><td>Fresh poultry meat</td><td>11</td><td>2915</td><td>139 (4.8)</td><td>13</td><td>4308</td><td>389 (9.0)</td></tr><tr><td>Gelatine and collagen</td><td>2</td><td>16</td><td>0 (0)</td><td>4</td><td>255</td><td>0 (0)</td></tr><tr><td>Ice cream, excluding products where the manufacturing process or the composition of the product will eliminate the <i>Salmonella</i> risk</td><td>5</td><td>148</td><td>0 (0)</td><td>7</td><td>1105</td><td>0 (0)</td></tr><tr><td>Live bivalve molluscs and live echinoderms, tunicates and gastropods</td><td>3</td><td>94</td><td>0 (0)</td><td>5</td><td>988</td><td>4 (0.40)</td></tr><tr><td>Meat products intended to be eaten raw, excluding products where the manufacturing process or the composition of the product will eliminate the <i>Salmonella</i> risk</td><td>8</td><td>1097</td><td>6 (0.55)</td><td>10</td><td>1450</td><td>24 (1.7)</td></tr><tr><td>Meat products made from poultry meat intended to be eaten cooked</td><td>4</td><td>684</td><td>47 (6.9)</td><td>4</td><td>406</td><td>33 (8.1)</td></tr><tr><td>Mechanically separated meat (MSM)</td><td>4</td><td>113</td><td>1 (0.88)</td><td>3</td><td>85</td><td>6 (7.1)</td></tr><tr><td>Milk powder and whey powder</td><td>7</td><td>402</td><td>0 (0)</td><td>7</td><td>314</td><td>0 (0)</td></tr><tr><td>Minced meat and meat preparations intended to be eaten raw</td><td>2</td><td>12</td><td>0 (0)</td><td>6</td><td>230</td><td>6 (2.6)</td></tr><tr><td>Minced meat and meat preparations made from other species than poultry intended to be eaten cooked</td><td>8</td><td>2939</td><td>32 (1.1)</td><td>15</td><td>6466</td><td>118 (1.8)</td></tr><tr><td>Minced meat and meat preparations made from poultry meat intended to be eaten cooked</td><td>8</td><td>488</td><td>28 (5.7)</td><td>13</td><td>2591</td><td>170 (6.6)</td></tr><tr><td>Pre-cut fruit and vegetables (ready-to-eat)</td><td>5</td><td>33</td><td>0 (0)</td><td>9</td><td>2352</td><td>1 (0.04)</td></tr><tr><td>Ready-to-eat foods containing raw egg, excluding products where the manufacturing process or the composition of the product will eliminate the <i>Salmonella</i> risk</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1</td><td>260</td><td>0 (0)</td></tr><tr><td>Sprouted seeds (ready-to-eat)</td><td>2</td><td>9</td><td>0 (0)</td><td>5</td><td>327</td><td>7 (2.1)</td></tr><tr><td>Unpasteurised fruit and vegetable juices (ready-to-eat)</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>6</td><td>1076</td><td>1 (0.09)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>EU Total</strong></td><td><strong>15</strong></td><td><strong>10,313</strong></td><td><strong>253 (2.5)</strong></td><td><strong>15</strong></td><td><strong>29,707</strong></td><td><strong>772 (2.6)</strong></td></tr></tbody></table>

Abbreviations: MSs, Member States.
Four MSs (Belgium, Ireland, Malta and Croatia) reported a total of 58 sampling units collected under the 'EU increased control programme on imported food', as mandated by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793,<fnref n="20" /> which targets specific food categories imported from third countries. Of the 48 batches tested, 1 (2%) was found positive for *Salmonella*, involving dried seeds sampled by Ireland. Malta, out of 10 single samples, reported 2 *Salmonella*-positive cases (20%), also in dried seeds.

### Process hygiene criteria

The following tables (Tables 11–17) present PHC monitoring statistics for carcases from various animal species, collected at slaughterhouses by both the CA and FBOp. The tables compare the proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive samples found by each sampler, along with the corresponding *p*-values and interpretations. Moreover, the proportions reported by countries with special guarantees in relation to *Salmonella* spp. on carcases, as per Regulation (EC) No 853/2004,<fnref n="21" /> are described.

For all species, except horses, the overall proportion of *Salmonella*-positive samples from official controls (CAs) was significantly higher than that from FBOp own-checks. Furthermore, regardless of the sampler, the overall proportions of *Salmonella*-positive neck skin samples from broilers and turkeys were notably higher than those reported for carcase surfaces of pigs, ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) and horses.

### Pig carcases

<table><caption>TABLE 11 Comparisons of proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive single samples from pig carcases after dressing, but before chilling, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Country</th><th colspan="3">Competent authority (CA)</th><th colspan="4">Food business operator (FBOp)</th></tr><tr><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th><th>p-value<sup>a</sup></th><th>Interpretation</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Austria</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>4199</td><td>6 (0.14)</td><td>[0.05; 0.31]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Belgium</td><td>824</td><td>56 (6.8)</td><td>[5.2; 8.7]</td><td>3724</td><td>9 (0.24)</td><td>[0.11; 0.46]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Bulgaria</td><td>985</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.37]<sup>b</sup></td><td>96</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 3.8]<sup>b</sup></td><td>NS</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Croatia</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>888</td><td>1 (0.11)</td><td>[0; 0.63]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Cyprus</td><td>20</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 16.8]<sup>b</sup></td><td>240</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.5]<sup>b</sup></td><td>NS</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Czechia</td><td>4580</td><td>36 (0.79)</td><td>[0.55; 1.1]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Denmark</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>10,197</td><td>65 (0.64)</td><td>[0.49; 0.81]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Estonia</td><td>350</td><td>24 (6.9)</td><td>[4.4; 10.0]</td><td>670</td><td>2 (0.30)</td><td>[0.04; 1.1]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>France</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>13,194</td><td>685 (5.2)</td><td>[4.8; 5.6]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>426</td><td>6 (1.4)</td><td>[0.52; 3.0]</td><td>20,008</td><td>149 (0.74)</td><td>[0.63; 0.87]</td><td>NS</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Greece</td><td>56</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 6.4]<sup>b</sup></td><td>480</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.77]<sup>b</sup></td><td>NS</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Hungary</td><td>3017</td><td>35 (1.2)</td><td>[0.81; 1.6]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Ireland</td><td>227</td><td>11 (4.8)</td><td>[2.4; 8.5]</td><td>2444</td><td>35 (1.4)</td><td>[1.0; 2.0]</td><td>0.0012</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Italy</td><td>4399</td><td>176 (4.0)</td><td>[3.4; 4.6]</td><td>9686</td><td>122 (1.3)</td><td>[1.0; 1.5]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Latvia</td><td>660</td><td>7 (1.1)</td><td>[0.43; 2.2]</td><td>590</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.62]<sup>b</sup></td><td>0.0113</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Luxembourg</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>245</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.5]<sup>b</sup></td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Malta</td><td>60</td><td>10 (16.7)</td><td>[8.3; 28.5]</td><td>180</td><td>5 (2.8)</td><td>[0.91; 6.4]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Netherlands</td><td>208</td><td>10 (4.8)</td><td>[2.3; 8.7]</td><td>5976</td><td>169 (2.8)</td><td>[2.4; 3.3]</td><td>0.0471</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Poland</td><td>1753</td><td>33 (1.9)</td><td>[1.3; 2.6]</td><td>4</td><td>0</td><td>[-]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Portugal</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>7789</td><td>68 (0.87)</td><td>[0.68; 1.1]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Romania</td><td>1821</td><td>2 (0.11)</td><td>[0.01; 0.40]</td><td>5103</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.07]<sup>b</sup></td><td>0.0691</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Slovakia</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>2729</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.14]<sup>b</sup></td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Slovenia</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>725</td><td>15 (2.1)</td><td>[1.2; 3.4]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Spain</td><td>2304</td><td>246 (10.7)</td><td>[9.4; 12.0]</td><td>8024</td><td>79 (0.98)</td><td>[0.78; 1.2]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr></tbody></table>

<footnote n="20">²⁰Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 of 22 October 2019 on the temporary increase of official controls and emergency measures governing the entry into the Union of certain goods from certain third countries implementing Regulations (EU) 2017/625 and (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Regulations (EC) No 669/2009, (EU) No 884/2014, (EU) 2015/175, (EU) 2017/186 and (EU) 2018/1660.</footnote>

<footnote n="21">²¹Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin.</footnote>
<table><caption>TABLE 11 (Continued)</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Country</th><th colspan="3">Competent authority (CA)</th><th colspan="3">Food business operator (FBOp)</th><th rowspan="2">p-value<sup>a</sup></th><th rowspan="2">Interpretation</th></tr><tr><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>590</td><td>20 (3.4)</td><td>[2.1; 5.2]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>EU Total (27 + XI)</td><td>21,690</td><td>652 (3.0)</td><td>[2.8; 3.2]</td><td>97,781</td><td>1430 (1.5)</td><td>[1.4; 1.5]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>EU Total (27 + XI) providing CA and FBOp data</td><td>14,093</td><td>581 (4.1)</td><td>[3.8; 4.5]</td><td>57,225</td><td>570 (1.0)</td><td>[0.92; 1.1]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr></tbody></table>

Abbreviations: –, Data not reported; [–], The confidence interval is not provided because of the small sample size.

<sup>a</sup>p-value: NS, not significant.

<sup>b</sup>One-sided, 97.5% confidence interval.

Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland, which are countries with special guarantees in relation to *Salmonella* on pig carcases, reported the following monitoring results: 0 positive out of 2383 own-check samples in Finland, 5 positive out of 6908 official samples in Sweden (0.07%), 0 positive out of 2969 official samples in Norway and 13 positive out of 2020 official samples in Iceland (0.64%). Moreover, Switzerland reported 0 positive out of 925 samples collected by the FBOp and Montenegro 0 positive out of 5 official samples.

## Broiler carcases

<table><caption>TABLE 12 Comparisons of proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive single samples from broiler carcases (neck skin samples) after chilling, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Country</th><th colspan="3">Competent authority (CA)</th><th colspan="3">Food business operator (FBOp)</th><th rowspan="2">p-value<sup>a</sup></th><th rowspan="2">Interpretation</th></tr><tr><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Austria</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>960</td><td>240 (25.0)</td><td>[22.3; 27.9]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Belgium</td><td>574</td><td>65 (11.3)</td><td>[8.8; 14.2]</td><td>2919</td><td>120 (4.1)</td><td>[3.4; 4.9]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Bulgaria</td><td>113</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 3.2]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Croatia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>210</td><td>19 (9.0)</td><td>[5.5; 13.8]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Cyprus</td><td>165</td><td>40 (24.2)</td><td>[17.9; 31.5]</td><td>1225</td><td>29 (2.4)</td><td>[1.6; 3.4]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Czechia</td><td>785</td><td>52 (6.6)</td><td>[5.0; 8.6]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Denmark</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>240</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.5]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Estonia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>280</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.3]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>France</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>15,253</td><td>208 (1.4)</td><td>[1.2; 1.6]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>35</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 10.0]<sup>b</sup></td><td>24,065</td><td>398 (1.7)</td><td>[1.5; 1.8]</td><td>NS</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Greece</td><td>100</td><td>25 (25.0)</td><td>[16.9; 34.7]</td><td>14,190</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.03]<sup>b</sup></td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Hungary</td><td>644</td><td>108 (16.8)</td><td>[14.0; 19.9]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Ireland</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>2236</td><td>29 (1.3)</td><td>[0.87; 1.9]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Italy</td><td>1286</td><td>409 (31.8)</td><td>[29.3; 34.4]</td><td>5105</td><td>493 (9.7)</td><td>[8.9; 10.5]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Latvia</td><td>100</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 3.6]<sup>b</sup></td><td>696</td><td>64 (9.2)</td><td>[7.2; 11.6]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &lt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Malta</td><td>10</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 30.9]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Netherlands</td><td>330</td><td>49 (14.8)</td><td>[11.2; 19.2]</td><td>3358</td><td>346 (10.3)</td><td>[9.3; 11.4]</td><td>0.0054</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Poland</td><td>1770</td><td>249 (14.1)</td><td>[12.5; 15.8]</td><td>1434</td><td>9 (0.63)</td><td>[0.29; 1.2]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Portugal</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>2569</td><td>2 (0.08)</td><td>[0.01; 0.28]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Romania</td><td>667</td><td>58 (8.7)</td><td>[6.7; 11.1]</td><td>4401</td><td>40 (0.91)</td><td>[0.65; 1.2]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Slovakia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>366</td><td>9 (2.5)</td><td>[1.1; 4.6]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Slovenia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>833</td><td>37 (4.4)</td><td>[3.1; 6.1]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Spain</td><td>730</td><td>132 (18.1)</td><td>[15.4; 21.1]</td><td>3250</td><td>88 (2.7)</td><td>[2.2; 3.3]</td><td>&lt;0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>445</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.83]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr></tbody></table>

(Continues)
<table><caption>TABLE 12 (Continued)</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Country</th><th colspan="3">Competent authority (CA)</th><th colspan="3">Food business operator (FBOp)</th><th rowspan="2">p-value<sup>a</sup></th><th rowspan="2">Interpretation</th></tr><tr><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>EU Total (27 + XI)</td><td>7309</td><td>1187 (16.2)</td><td>[15.4; 17.1]</td><td>84,035</td><td>2131 (2.5)</td><td>[2.4; 2.6]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>EU Total (27 + XI) providing CA and FBOp data</td><td>5757</td><td>1027 (17.8)</td><td>[16.9; 18.9]</td><td>60,643</td><td>1587 (2.6)</td><td>[2.5; 2.7]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr></tbody></table>

Abbreviation: –, Data not reported.

<sup>a</sup>p-value: NS, not significant.

<sup>b</sup>One-sided, 97.5% confidence interval.

A considerable reduction was observed in the number of broiler carcases tested as official samples compared to the previous year, primarily driven by a substantial decrease in one MS. Poland, for instance, reported 8008 official samples in 2022, which dropped sharply to 1770 in 2023. Finland, Sweden and Iceland, which are countries with special guarantees in relation to *Salmonella* on broiler carcases, reported the following monitoring results: Finland (N = 1280 collected by the FBOp) and Sweden (N = 1934 collected by the CA) did not report any positive samples, whereas Iceland reported 7 positive out of 759 official samples (0.92%). Moreover, Switzerland reported 0 positive out of 344 samples collected by the FBOp and Montenegro 0 positive out of 50 samples tested by the FBOp and 0 positive out of 10 tested by the CA.

## Turkey carcases

<table><caption>TABLE 13 Comparisons of proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive single samples from turkey carcases (neck skin samples) after chilling, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Country</th><th colspan="3">Competent authority (CA)</th><th colspan="3">Food business operator (FBOp)</th><th rowspan="2">p-value<sup>a</sup></th><th rowspan="2">Interpretation</th></tr><tr><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Austria</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>128</td><td>5 (3.9)</td><td>[1.3; 8.9]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Belgium</td><td>49</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 7.3]<sup>b</sup></td><td>130</td><td>1 (0.77)</td><td>[0.02; 4.2]</td><td>NS</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Croatia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>55</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 6.5]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Czechia</td><td>310</td><td>5 (1.6)</td><td>[0.53; 3.7]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>France</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>2515</td><td>62 (2.5)</td><td>[1.9; 3.1]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>1994</td><td>327 (16.4)</td><td>[14.8; 18.1]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Greece</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>2735</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.13]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Hungary</td><td>534</td><td>34 (6.4)</td><td>[4.4; 8.8]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Ireland</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>1214</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.30]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Italy</td><td>200</td><td>54 (27.0)</td><td>[21.0; 33.7]</td><td>1085</td><td>126 (11.6)</td><td>[9.8; 13.7]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Latvia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>5</td><td>0</td><td>[-]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Poland</td><td>265</td><td>29 (10.9)</td><td>[7.5; 15.3]</td><td>360</td><td>5 (1.4)</td><td>[0.45; 3.2]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Portugal</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>872</td><td>5 (0.57)</td><td>[0.19; 1.3]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Romania</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>521</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.71]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Slovakia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>60</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 6.0]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Slovenia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>121</td><td>5 (4.1)</td><td>[1.4; 9.4]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Spain</td><td>80</td><td>29 (36.2)</td><td>[25.8; 47.8]</td><td>3475</td><td>10 (0.29)</td><td>[0.14; 0.53]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>5</td><td>0</td><td>[-]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>EU Total (27 + XI)</td><td>1438</td><td>151 (10.5)</td><td>[9.0; 12.2]</td><td>15,275</td><td>546 (3.6)</td><td>[3.3; 3.9]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>EU Total (27 + XI) providing CA and FBOp data</td><td>594</td><td>112 (18.9)</td><td>[15.8; 22.2]</td><td>5050</td><td>142 (2.8)</td><td>[2.4; 3.3]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr></tbody></table>

Abbreviations: –, Data not reported; [-], The confidence interval is not provided because of the small sample size.

<sup>a</sup>p-value: NS, not significant.

<sup>b</sup>One-sided, 97.5% confidence interval.
Finland, Sweden and Norway are countries with special guarantees in relation to *Salmonella* on turkey carcases. Finland (N=265 collected by the FBOp) and Sweden (N=123 collected by the CA) did not report any positive samples, whereas Norway did not report any data for turkey carcases. Moreover, Switzerland reported 0 positive out of 130 tested turkey samples collected by the FBOp.

## Bovine carcases

<table><caption>**TABLE 14** Comparisons of proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive single samples from bovine carcases after dressing but before chilling, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Country</th><th colspan="3">Competent authority (CA)</th><th colspan="3">Food business operator (FBOp)</th><th rowspan="2">p-value<sup>a</sup></th><th rowspan="2">Interpretation</th></tr><tr><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Austria</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>2871</td><td>5 (0.17)</td><td>[0.06; 0.41]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Belgium</td><td>882</td><td>6 (0.68)</td><td>[0.25; 1.5]</td><td>3447</td><td>62 (1.8)</td><td>[1.4; 2.3]</td><td>0.0086</td><td>CA &lt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Bulgaria</td><td>493</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.75]<sup>b</sup></td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Croatia</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1193</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.31]<sup>b</sup></td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Cyprus</td><td>30</td><td>10 (33.3)</td><td>[17.3; 52.8]</td><td>120</td><td>13 (10.8)</td><td>[5.9; 17.8]</td><td>0.0045</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Czechia</td><td>3782</td><td>25 (0.66)</td><td>[0.43; 0.97]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Denmark</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>2220</td><td>3 (0.14)</td><td>[0.03; 0.39]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Estonia</td><td>206</td><td>1 (0.49)</td><td>[0.01; 2.7]</td><td>354</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.0]<sup>b</sup></td><td>NS</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>France</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>19,023</td><td>68 (0.36)</td><td>[0.28; 0.45]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>8742</td><td>1 (0.01)</td><td>[0; 0.06]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Greece</td><td>50</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 7.1]<sup>b</sup></td><td>322</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.1]<sup>b</sup></td><td>NS</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Hungary</td><td>252</td><td>1 (0.40)</td><td>[0.01; 2.2]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Ireland</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>6644</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.06]<sup>b</sup></td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Italy</td><td>2878</td><td>25 (0.87)</td><td>[0.56; 1.3]</td><td>11,211</td><td>21 (0.19)</td><td>[0.12; 0.29]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Latvia</td><td>355</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.0]<sup>b</sup></td><td>1580</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.23]<sup>b</sup></td><td>NS</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Luxembourg</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>335</td><td>1 (0.30)</td><td>[0.01; 1.7]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Malta</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>180</td><td>4 (2.2)</td><td>[0.61; 5.6]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Netherlands</td><td>262</td><td>4 (1.5)</td><td>[0.42; 3.9]</td><td>3049</td><td>21 (0.69)</td><td>[0.43; 1.1]</td><td>NS</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Poland</td><td>595</td><td>3 (0.50)</td><td>[0.10; 1.5]</td><td>579</td><td>1 (0.17)</td><td>[0; 0.96]</td><td>NS</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Portugal</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>2963</td><td>8 (0.27)</td><td>[0.12; 0.53]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Romania</td><td>1393</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.26]<sup>b</sup></td><td>2843</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.13]<sup>b</sup></td><td>NS</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Slovakia</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1863</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.20]<sup>b</sup></td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Slovenia</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1716</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.21]<sup>b</sup></td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>Spain</td><td>1296</td><td>62 (4.8)</td><td>[3.7; 6.1]</td><td>4584</td><td>21 (0.46)</td><td>[0.28; 0.70]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>1572</td><td>2 (0.13)</td><td>[0.02; 0.46]</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>EU Total (27 + XI)</td><td>12,474</td><td>137 (1.1)</td><td>[0.92; 1.3]</td><td>77,411</td><td>231 (0.30)</td><td>[0.26; 0.34]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>EU Total (27 + XI) providing CA and FBOp data</td><td>7947</td><td>111 (1.4)</td><td>[1.2; 1.7]</td><td>28,089</td><td>139 (0.49)</td><td>[0.42; 0.58]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr></tbody></table>

Abbreviation: –, Data not reported.

<sup>a</sup>p-value: NS, not significant.

<sup>b</sup>One-sided, 97.5% confidence interval.

Finland, Sweden and Norway, which are countries with special guarantees in relation to *Salmonella* on bovine carcases, reported 1 positive out of 2272 samples collected by the FBOp (0.04%) in Finland and 2 positives out of 3985 official samples (0.05%) in Sweden; Norway did not find any positive samples out of 3067 official controls. Moreover, Switzerland reported no positive out of 858 tested own-check samples, and Montenegro reported 0 positive out of 121 tested samples collected by the FBOp and 0 positive out of 22 collected by the CA.
## Sheep carcases

<table><caption>TABLE 15 Comparisons of proportions (%) of *Salmonella*-positive single samples from sheep carcases after dressing but before chilling, by sampler and reporting MS, EU, 2023.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Country</th><th colspan="3">Competent authority (CA)</th><th colspan="4">Food business operator (FBOp)</th><th rowspan="2">p-value<sup>a</sup></th><th rowspan="2">Interpretation</th></tr><tr><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th><th>N tested samples</th><th>N (%) positive samples</th><th>CI<sub>95</sub></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Austria</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>220</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.7]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Belgium</td><td>288</td><td>2 (0.69)</td><td>[0.08; 2.5]</td><td>931</td><td>7 (0.75)</td><td>[0.30; 1.5]</td><td>NS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bulgaria</td><td>475</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.77]<sup>b</sup></td><td>15</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 21.8]<sup>b</sup></td><td>NS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Croatia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>305</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.2]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Cyprus</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>192</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.9]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Czechia</td><td>384</td><td>5 (1.3)</td><td>[0.42; 3.0]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Estonia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>105</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 3.5]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Finland</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>86</td><td>1 (1.2)</td><td>[0.03; 6.3]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>France</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>6264</td><td>78 (1.2)</td><td>[0.99; 1.6]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>842</td><td>6 (0.71)</td><td>[0.26; 1.5]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Greece</td><td>88</td><td>7 (8.0)</td><td>[3.3; 15.7]</td><td>335</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.1]<sup>b</sup></td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Hungary</td><td>206</td><td>1 (0.49)</td><td>[0.01; 2.7]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Ireland</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>1542</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.24]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Italy</td><td>448</td><td>2 (0.45)</td><td>[0.05; 1.6]</td><td>1568</td><td>8 (0.51)</td><td>[0.22; 1.0]</td><td>NS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Latvia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>204</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.8]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Luxembourg</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>74</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 4.9]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Malta</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>131</td><td>1 (0.76)</td><td>[0.02; 4.2]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Netherlands</td><td>108</td><td>8 (7.4)</td><td>[3.3; 14.1]</td><td>513</td><td>5 (0.97)</td><td>[0.32; 2.3]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>Poland</td><td>17</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 19.5]<sup>b</sup></td><td>120</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 3.0]<sup>b</sup></td><td>NS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Portugal</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>2106</td><td>3 (0.14)</td><td>[0.03; 0.42]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Romania</td><td>558</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.66]<sup>b</sup></td><td>1035</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 0.36]<sup>b</sup></td><td>NS</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Slovakia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>304</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 1.2]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Slovenia</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>161</td><td>0</td><td>[0; 2.3]<sup>b</sup></td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Spain</td><td>470</td><td>16 (3.4)</td><td>[2.0; 5.5]</td><td>4673</td><td>50 (1.1)</td><td>[0.80; 1.4]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>569</td><td>1 (0.18)</td><td>[0; 0.98]</td><td>–</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>EU Total (27+XI)</td><td>3042</td><td>41 (1.3)</td><td>[0.97; 1.8]</td><td>22,295</td><td>160 (0.72)</td><td>[0.61; 0.84]</td><td>&lt; 0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr><tr><td>EU Total (27+XI) providing CA and FBOp data</td><td>2452</td><td>35 (1.4)</td><td>[1.0; 2.0]</td><td>9190</td><td>70 (0.76)</td><td>[0.59; 0.96]</td><td>0.001</td><td>CA &gt; FBOp</td></tr></tbody></table>

Abbreviation: –, Data not reported.

Switzerland reported 0 positive out of 236 tested sheep carcase samples collected by the FBOp, and Montenegro reported 0 positive out of 10 tested samples collected by the CA and 0 positive out of 7 tested samples collected by the FBOp.

<footnote>a p-value: NS, not significant.</footnote>

<footnote>b One-sided, 97.5% confidence interval.</footnote>