The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has been notified by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health about a national outbreak of the gastrointestinal bacterium Salmonella Napoli. So far, infection has been detected in seven people. The source of infection is not known.
An outbreak investigation has been initiated in collaboration between the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the Veterinary Institute and municipal chief medical officers. It is currently unknown what the source of infection is, but it is common for gastrointestinal bacteria to become infected through food. According to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the most common symptoms are diarrhoea, headache, abdominal pain, nausea and possibly fever.
– The Norwegian Food Safety Authority collects information from the sick persons about what they have eaten and what they have been in contact with. It may also be relevant to take samples of food and food packaging, says Anne Mæland, senior advisor in the biological food safety section of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
Outbreak investigation takes time and the work is complicated. It is not always possible to find the source of infection in such outbreaks. If a common source of infection from food, animals or the environment is identified, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority will follow up the tracing work along the food chain.
FoodWorld 