Background: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Coeln (antigenic formula 1,4,[5],12:y:1,2) is a serovar of the O:4 (B) serogroup. This serovar is considered rare and is scarcely associated with human cases; only 32 human salmonellosis cases have been associated with this serovar during the last 10 years in the US. Besides the animal reservoir described below, it has been isolated from water of coastal rivers in the western Mediterranean cost. In Spain, serovar Coeln was associated with one case of acute septic arthritis.

NCBI PD link for serovar Coeln: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pathogens/isolates/#(taxgroup_name:%22Salmonella%20enterica%22)%20AND%20computed_types:(%22serotype=Coeln%22)

Genetic characteristics: Serovar Coeln has been found to be polyphyletic with two lineages identified and one stand-alone singleton that does not cluster with any other Salmonella Coeln isolates. An Italian study revealed that one of the two Coeln isolates they analyzed exhibited resistance to antimicrobials (the specific class and number of drugs were not specified in the paper).

Animal reservoir: Serovar Coeln has been isolated in high frequency (21.8%) in wild boars in Italy.

Geographical distribution: Serovar Coeln has been mainly described in Europe such as the UK, and Norway but has been also isolated in other non-European countries such as US, and Australia.

Human outbreaks: 

Year

Location

Associated source

Number of cases

2021SwedenFresh Sprouts52
2017NorwayTBD18

2013

Norway

Baby Leaf Mix

26 

1998

France

Minced beef

26

Border rejections:

Year

Exporting country

Importing country

Associated source

Product category

2021BrazilGermanyBlack pepper1Herbs and spices
2021BrazilGermanyBlack pepper2Herbs and spices
2020UkraineLatviaWhite hen shell eggsEggs and egg products

1 Salmonella Poona, Minnesota, Coeln were found. 

2 Salmonella Infantis, Coeln, Bonariensis, Newport, Matadi, Morehead were found. 

Recalls:

YearLocationRecalled foodType
2024LithuaniaFrozen fillets of broiler chickens from UkrainePoultry meat and poultry meat products
2022LatviaChicken thighs from Poland1Poultry meat and poultry meat products

1 Serovar Coeln were found in 1 out of 5 samples. Official control measures were implemented in the market was issued but no stock remained. 

Relevant links:

  1. https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/aem.66.4.1544-1552.2000
  2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38073261/
  3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8065399/#:~:text=A%20total%20of%20164%20Salmonella,a%20matter%20of%20great%20concern.
  4. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1547190/full
  5. https://actavetscand.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1751-0147-55-42
  6. https://food.ec.europa.eu/document/download/bdb7770b-f932-4038-951d-516d63c3690b_en
  7. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/11/sweden-solves-salmonella-outbreak-sprouts-identified-as-likely-source/
  8. https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2017/09/22/Salmonella-sickens-seven-in-Norway/
  9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26586305/
  10. https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/esm.06.02.00223-en
  11. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/notification/469459
  12. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/notification/465236
  13. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/notification/455145
  14. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/notification/721008
  15. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/notification/567419
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