Salmonellosis in Poland in 2023.

BACKGROUND

Salmonellosis is a foodborne bacterial disease caused by Salmonella spp. (excluding S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi) and remains a significant public health concern in Poland and worldwide. According to the CDC, the true burden of infection may be substantially underestimated. In 2023, the epidemiological situation in Poland returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, reaching some of the highest values observed in recent years.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this article is to present and compare the epidemiological situation of salmonellosis in Poland in 2023 with that observed in previous years.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The analysis was based on individual case data on salmonellosis, data on foodborne disease outbreaks reported to the EpiBaza and ROE systems, bulletins and articles published by the National Institute of Public Health NIH NIPH - PIB, scientific publications, data from the ECDC website, and data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS).

RESULTS

In 2023, 10,348 cases of salmonellosis were reported in Poland, with an incidence rate of 27.4 per 100,000 population; 61.7% of cases required hospitalization. The predominant serotype was Salmonella Enteritidis (71%). A total of 1,220 foodborne outbreaks were recorded, including 396 salmonellosis outbreaks, with 147 imported cases. Nineteen deaths due to Salmonella infection were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

In 2023, Poland accounted for 13% of all reported salmonellosis cases in the EU, with an incidence rate higher than the EU average and comparable to pre-COVID-19 levels. The proportion of imported infections remained low, with Turkey most frequently identified as the country of origin in both Poland and the EU. Monitoring imported cases is important due to the risk of introducing rarely isolated serotypes. Notably, an outbreak caused by the rare serotype Salmonella Agama, affecting over 30 individuals, was identified against the background of dominant Salmonella Enteritidis infections in Poland.