Salmonella Hvittingfoss

Background: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Hvittingfoss (antigenic formula 16:b:e,n,x) is a serovar of the O:16 (I) serogroup. Found in wild and domesticated reptiles and amphibians, and in food-producing mammals, this is a rare serovar, though it has been linked to human foodborne outbreaks.

Animal reservoir: Serovar Hvittingfoss has been recovered from amphibians (both those raised as pets and for food items) and reptiles.

Geographical distribution: S. Hvittingfoss has been reported in Thailand, Nigeria, Australia, Europe and the United States.

Human outbreaks: Outbreaks linked to S. Hvittingfoss have been reported.

Year	Location	Associated source	Number of cases
2016	Australia	Rockmelons	97
2010	US-IL	Unknown	97

Border rejections:

Year	Exporting country	Importing country	Associated source	Product category
2020	India	Greece	Hulled sesame seeds	Nuts, nut products and seeds

Recalls:

Year	Location	Recalled food	Type
2016	Australia	Rockmelons¹	Fruits and vegetables

¹ The Northern Territory based company “Red Dirt” issued a trade level recall. This recall was caused by the outbreak described above.

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Salmonella Hvittingfoss