More than 100 people have been sickened in 11 countries as part of a salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa seeds from India.
Between January and May, 109 confirmed Salmonella bovis mobipicans infections were reported in 10 European countries and the United Kingdom. Finland had the most patients with 35, followed by the UK with 30 and the Netherlands with 17.
The patients’ ages range from 4 to 88 years old, and there are 77 women and 31 men. Eighteen people required hospitalization. It was previously reported that 50 people in 7 countries were infected. Two deaths were reported in Finland. Both cases had underlying conditions, and one was receiving terminal treatment.
Another 50 cases are under investigation in four EU countries.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) say alfalfa sprouts and other sprouted seeds are the main food vector in the multinational outbreak. According to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) alert, the suspected sources were alfalfa seeds, clover seeds, broccoli seeds and radish seeds from Italy.
In April, Ireland reported three cases of Salmonella Bovismorbificans-related infections to European surveillance portal EpiPulse. Since this alert, other European countries have reported a flurry of cases linked to the Irish variant.
connection to india
Many patients interviewed in Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK consumed sprouted seeds before becoming ill.
Epidemiological evidence has identified sprouted alfalfa seeds from Italy as the main vector of infection. Microbiological evidence included detection of the outbreak strain in water samples collected during harvest of sprouting alfalfa seeds in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. A Finnish sprouting seed producer was epidemiologically linked to cases in Finland.
One positive note was an internal control sample of rinse water from a harvest of alfalfa seeds sprouted at a company site in the Netherlands last February. The other was irrigation water from sprouted seeds collected from a producer’s site in the UK last March.
A traceability survey in Italy identified common seed suppliers in India. The outbreak strain is thought to have been introduced to Europe in October 2025 through two consignments of alfalfa seed before being distributed to several countries.
Control measures included recall of related consignments, recall of related products, suspension of production, and disposal of suspect products.
ECDC and EFSA said further infections could occur until the source of contamination is fully identified and controlled, especially since sprouted seeds may be sold as ready-to-eat products.
