This report presents the results of a proficiency test to evaluate the inter-laboratory reproducibility and portability of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) genome assemblies in the EU/EEA.
ECDC has identified a microbiological link between an outbreak of nine Listeria monocytogenes ST1247 cases in Denmark and nine additional cases reported between 2014 and 2018 in Estonia (2 cases) Finland (2), France (1) and Sweden (4).
Cases of salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis have remained stable over the past five years, although listeriosis is on the rise. In 2017, there was an average of 100 food- and waterborne outbreaks per week.
A multi-country outbreak of 12 listeriosis cases caused by Listeria monocytogenes sequence type (ST) 8 has been identified through whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis in three EU/EEA countries: Denmark (6 cases), Germany (5) and France (1).
Ready-to-eat salmon products, such as cold-smoked and marinated salmon, are the likely source of an outbreak of listeriosis that has affected Denmark, Germany and France since 2015.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 2-8 September 2018 and includes updates on poliomyelitis, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), influenza A(H5N6), listeriosis, West Nile virus, Ebola virus disease and cholera.