According to the latest health report from Ireland, there has been an increase in Campylobacter and Listeria infections, while cases of Salmonella and E. coli have decreased in the first quarter of 2024.
Campylobacter and Listeria Infections:
Campylobacter infections have seen a rise from 700 in Q1 2023 to 733 in Q1 2024. Similarly, Listeria infections have increased from one to five cases.
Salmonella and E. coli Cases:
On the other hand, Salmonella cases have dropped from 84 to 67, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections have declined from 131 to 116.
The data presented is based on a comprehensive report published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), focusing on foodborne illnesses between January and March 2024. This report marks the first of its kind since Q4 2019, as previous editions were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One noteworthy outbreak of Campylobacter was reported, affecting two individuals within a family setting. Out of 62 sequenced isolates, 57 were identified as Campylobacter jejuni, and the remaining isolates were Campylobacter coli – a notable contrast to the four outbreaks documented in the same period in 2023.
Salmonella Travel Trends:
In cases where travel history was disclosed for the 60 Salmonella infections, 50% were linked to travel, while the rest were domestically acquired. Salmonella Typhimurium was more prevalent among domestic cases, whereas Salmonella Enteritidis was more common in travel-related cases. Additionally, 32 cases were attributed to other serotypes, with three family outbreaks reported, involving a total of six patients.
E. coli and Listeria Insights:
Of the 116 E. coli cases reported, the majority were observed in hospital inpatients or General Practitioner (GP) patients. Notably, there was one case of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) reported in this period. The most prevalent serogroups among culture-confirmed cases in 2024 were O157, O26, O91, O78, and O145. Three outbreaks were documented, impacting 14 individuals, with one outbreak identified in a residential institution.
Five cases of listeriosis were recorded, compared to one in Q1 2023, with a mix of adult, juvenile, and pregnancy-related cases. Despite the increase in cases, no listeria outbreaks were identified. Cryptosporidiosis cases surged to 152 in Q1 2024, up from 117 in the same period last year. The majority of infections were domestically acquired, with a few linked to travel. Furthermore, a dozen outbreaks were noted, involving a total of 29 individuals.
In conclusion, there were 18 cases of Hepatitis A and two outbreaks in Q1 2024, a significant increase from the previous year. Similarly, Hepatitis E cases rose to 13 cases compared to four in Q1 2023.