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Background information: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Umbilo (antigenic formula 28:z10:e,n,x) is a serovar of the O:28 (M) serogroup. Public . Serovar Umbilo is typically rare, with the ECDC recording 20 to 32 cases annually in the European Union/European Economic Area (including the United Kingdom until 2019) over the past decade (2014−2023). Public Health England found this serovar in curry leaves. In 2001, serovar Umbilo was found in organic rocket salad and pre-packaged ready-to-eat salads from an Italian producer in the UK, though it was not associated with any human infections.
NCBI PD link for serovar Umbilo: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pathogens/isolates/#(taxgroup_name:%22Salmonella%20enterica%22)%20AND%20computed_types:(%22serotype=Umbilo%22)
Genetic characteristics: Through investigating the ongoing Umbilo outbreak which was described below, Rosner et al. found that clinical isolates from Denmark, Germany, and Austria were genetically similar, with a maximum pairwise distance of 4 allelic difference (AD) and a maximum distance of 2 AD from the reference sequence. Umbilo isolates that had a difference of more than 5 AD from the reference strain of the outbreak were not associated with the outbreak.
Animal reservoir: Serovar Umbilo was found in sheep, field lizards, and badgers.
Geographical distribution: Serovar Umbilo has been found reported in Turkey, England the US, Italy, South Africa, Kenya and Europe such as Denmark, Austria, Croatia, and the USGermany.
Outbreaks: Outbreaks have been associated with S. Umbilo. Human outbreaks:
| Year | Location | Associated |
|---|
| source | Number of |
|---|
| cases | |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Europe |
| : multi-country |
17 - Austria 20 - Denmark
Relevant links and references:
| Rocket salad (also known as arugula or rucola) from Italy | 1581 |
1158 cases of serovar Umbilo have been reported across 3 EU/EEA countries. The cases were distributed as follows: Germany (117), Denmark (22), and Austria (19). Through EpiPulse, six other European countries each reported between one and 20 cases of serovar Umbilo.
Border rejections:
Year | Exporting country | Importing country | Associated source | Product category |
| Italy | Germany | Organic leaf spinach | Fruits and vegetables |
Recalls: There have been no recent recalls linked to this serovar.
Relevant links:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31749479/
- chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.eurlsalmonella.eu/sites/default/files/2019-06/4%20Marie%20Salmonella%20contamination%20of%20%28imported%29fresh%20edible%20leaves%20190528_0.pdf
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31749479/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9738870/
- https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/notification/712437
- https://www.foodsafetynewseurosurveillance.comorg/2024content/0910.2807/rare-salmonella-type-sickens-people-in-denmark-and-austria/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.46.2400728
- chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.cdc.gov/nationalsurveillance/pdfs/2016-Salmonella-report-508.pdf
- https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2024/09/rare-salmonella-type-sickens-people-in-denmark-and-austria/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X2203071X?via%3Dihub
- https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/notification/716987