Grouped cases of Salmonella Enteritidis from a single strain have been detected in France. Health officials suspect pumpkin seeds from Lot-et-Garonne sold mainly at Grand Frais.
Foods of animal origin are not the only possible vectors of Salmonella. While the bacterium is often linked to raw meat, eggs and dairy products, fruit, vegetables and other plant-based foods can also be contaminated.
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The latest example is in France: 81 people in several regions contracted salmonellosis between May and August after eating pumpkin seeds, the health and agriculture ministries announced on Friday.
A major health alert
According to the authorities, the products in question came from a processor located in Lot-et-Garonne, in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and were distributed mainly through Grand Frais stores. Several other supermarket chains were supplied by the same provider.
Of the patients interviewed, six were admitted to hospital and two attended accident and emergency, the ministries said in a statement. "All experienced an improvement in their symptoms and have returned home."
The products concerned have been recalled. Investigations are under way to pinpoint the source of the contamination. An inspection carried out at the processor has so far failed to identify its origin, the authorities added.
A common infection: almost 200,000 cases recorded each year
Salmonellosis typically causes diarrhoea, fever and abdominal cramps.
Symptoms can be more severe in young children, pregnant women, immunocompromised people and older adults, the authorities warn.
If no symptoms appear within seven days of consumption, there is however no need to see a doctor.
Each year, 198,000 cases of salmonellosis are recorded in France, of which an estimated 183,000 are linked to foodborne transmission, according to Santé publique France.
Outbreak still ongoing in Belgium
France is not the only European country to have recently faced salmonella contamination. In Belgium, an outbreak linked to eggs from a poultry farm had affected at least 312 people as of 2 September, according to the public health institute Sciensano.
Up to two million potentially contaminated eggs were put on the market in Belgium and Luxembourg, where a recall was also initiated. The toll could yet rise, as many people with mild symptoms, or none at all, have not been tested.
