Incidence of campylobacteriosis stabilises in Europe
However it is still the most commonly reported foodborne disease in Europe, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Meanwhile, listeriosis and verocytotoxin-producing E.coli (VTEC) infections in humans are on the up, but reported cases of salmonellosis and yersiniosis have decreased.
According to the European Union Summary Report on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic Agents and Foodborne Outbreaks in 2013, produced by EFSA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), cases of campylobacteriosis in 2013 have stabilised at the levels since in 2012 – when a slight decrease was recorded for the first time in five years.
However, cases still total 214,779, significantly more than salmonella which saw 82,694 – down for the eighth year in a row. The report hailed salmonella control programmes in poultry a success, noting that most member states met their reduction goals for prevalence in poultry for 2013.
"The stabilisation of campylobacteriosis cases and the continuing downward trend of salmonellosis is good news, but we should not lower our guard as reporting of other diseases such as listeriosis and VTEC infections is going up," said Marta Hugas, head of EFSA’s Risk Assessment and Scientific Assistance Department, who stressed the importance of monitoring foodborne illnesses in Europe.
Cases of listeria, caused by cross-contamination, increased 8.6% between 2012 and 2013 and have been increasing over the past five years, according to the report.
EFSA stated that although this figure was low, the cases that occurred were mostly severe, invasive forms of the disease, with higher death rates than for other foodborne diseases.
"The rise in reported invasive listeriosis cases is of great concern as the infection is acquired mostly from ready-to-eat food and it may lead to death, particularly among the increasing population of elderly people and patients with weakened immunity in Europe," said Mike Catchpole, chief scientist at ECDC.
Reported cases of VTEC infections rose by 5.9%, while yersiniosis cases, which have been decreasing over the past five years, declined by 2.8% to 6,471.
