One person dead and more than 200 ill in UK salmonella outbreak | Health

One person has died and more than 200 others have fallen ill during a UK-wide outbreak of salmonella that health officials have linked to the consumption of imported eggs.

The 207 people affected range in age from under one year to 90 years old, according to the UK Health Security Agency, which is leading an investigation into the outbreak.

The UKHSA has ruled out UK-produced eggs or poultry as the source and said the available evidence pointed to eggs imported into Britain. It is working with other European countries, through their joint system of surveillance of threats to health, to identify how the outbreak began.

The agency said it could not release any details of the person who died or circumstances of their death because it was the subject of a continuing investigation.

It said at least 34 people were left so ill with salmonellosis, the illness caused by salmonella, that they had to be treated in hospital, and two had a bloodstream infection.

Officials have ascertained through whole-genome sequencing that all 207 cases are linked to a single strain of salmonella. The first case was identified on 11 August 2025, but most of them have been identified since the middle of last month.

Most of the cases have been in England (199), six in Scotland and one each in Wales and Northern Ireland. London has had 47 cases so far and the Yorkshire and the Humber region 38 cases.

UKHSA’s notice alerting the public to the outbreak, which it issued on Tuesday morning, said: “Extensive epidemiological and food chain investigations are ongoing to identify the source and origin of the contamination responsible for illness.”

Interviews with 114 of those left ill have identified “five food businesses where two or more independent cases reported attending in the week prior to symptom onset. These food businesses link 24 cases in total.” The agency did not name the five businesses.

It added: “Food chain investigations to date have identified that these premises are supplied by eggs from multiple sources, including egg importers. Local investigations have also identified possible cross-contamination risk events within two of these settings. At this time there is no identified link to UK-produced eggs or poultry.”

Hannah Charles, the agency’s lead epidemiologist for gastrointestinal infections, said: “We’re working with Food Standards Agency and other public health agencies to investigate a salmonella outbreak that may be linked to eggs imported from outside of the UK.

“Salmonellosis is often caused by eating or handling contaminated food and can be spread rarely from person to person. Salmonella generally causes a mild illness, although vulnerable groups with weakened immune systems may experience more severe illness.

“Symptoms of a salmonella infection include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever. Anyone who is concerned about symptoms should contact their GP or out-of-hours service in the first instance.”

She advised the public to take action to prevent the spread of salmonella. “Wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and before preparing and handling food, cook food thoroughly, and, if you have any symptoms, avoid handling food for others where possible.”