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Main points for 2024

The main points of the 2024 report are:

• the number of reported non-typhoidal Salmonella cases in England increased from 8,872 cases in 2023 to 10,388 cases in 2024, an increase of 17.1%
• in 2024, Salmonella Enteritidis was the most frequently reported serovar with laboratory reports increasing from 2,711 in 2023 to 3,166 in 2024 (16.8% increase); reports of Salmonella Typhimurium increased from 1,473 to 1,697 (15.2% increase) and was the second most commonly reported serovar in 2024
• the region that reported the highest number of non-typhoidal Salmonella laboratory cases was London with 2,168 reports and the highest reporting rate of 24.2 reports per 100,000 population
• the age group with the highest number of laboratory reports was children below the age of 10 (2,236 non-typhoidal Salmonella cases)
• September was the peak month for non-typhoidal Salmonella reporting in 2024

Background

Salmonella are bacteria that can make people ill with a type of food poisoning-like illness called salmonellosis. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis include:

• diarrhoea (3 or more loose stools per day) sometimes containing blood or mucus
• stomach cramps
• fever
• nausea
• vomiting
• headache
• loss of appetite

Most people recover within 1 week (1), however some people including young children less than 5 years of age, adults aged 65 years and older, or those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of developing more severe illness or longer-term complications (2, 3). is available on the NHS website.

Salmonella are found in the gut of many animals such as poultry, cattle, pigs and reptiles. The most common route of acquiring human infection is by the consumption of contaminated food such as poultry meat, eggs, raw fruits and vegetables, and unpasteurised milk (4, 5, 6, 7).

However Salmonella has also been found in a wide range of foods such as confectionery, nuts, seeds, formula milk and ready to eat foods (8, 9, 10, 11, 12). Infection may also occur by close contact with an infected person or animal and through environmental exposure (13). International travel has also been documented as a risk factor for salmonellosis (14).

Over 8,000 laboratory confirmed infections of Salmonella serovars are reported nationally per year. In humans, the majority of Salmonella infections are caused by two serovars, S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium, with a higher number of infections reported in summer months (May to October) than in winter months (15).

This report summarises the trends in reporting of Salmonella cases in England in 2024 with a comparison to reporting in previous years.

COVID-19 pandemic

During 2020 and 2021 it is likely that the emergence of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with subsequent non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented to control COVID-19 transmission affected notifications of Salmonella infections to national surveillance in several ways. These include, but are not limited to:

• changes which may have impacted ascertainment (for example changes in healthcare seeking behaviour, access to health care, availability or capacity of testing)
• changes which likely impacted incidence (for example limited foreign travel, closure of hospitality venues and attractions or behavioural changes around food consumption) which will have also varied over time

Therefore, trends presented in this report should be interpreted with caution, and 2020 and 2021 data, the years a notable impact on Salmonella reporting to national surveillance was observed (16), are excluded when 5-year medians are calculated.

The magnitude and duration of the impacts on reporting differed by gastrointestinal pathogen due to differences in severity, transmission routes and risk factors (17, 18). Therefore, the number of years impacted and consequentially excluded from the calculation of 5-year medians also differs by pathogen, for example 2020 and 2021 for Salmonella but only 2020 for Campylobacter.

Methods

All data presented in this report is correct as of 27 February 2025. This report covers all non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars in England. Data on typhoidal Salmonellae (S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi subtypes A/B/C causing enteric fever) are available in the Enteric fever annual reports. The S. Typhimurium reported numbers include S. Typhimurium and its variant monophasic Typhimurium 1,4,[5],12:i:-. The S. Enteritidis reported numbers include S. Enteritidis only. The classification into typhoidal and non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars is consistent with established conventions in this area of research (19).

As data was extracted from the Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS), a live laboratory reporting system, the data are subject to change and historical totals may differ slightly. The laboratory report date was used for all data analyses in this report. As SGSS is a live laboratory reporting system, data presented in this report may differ to previously published reports due to differences in extraction dates.

Population data were sourced from the for England. The latest mid-year population estimates were used to provide denominators for the calculation of rates in 2024 (at the time of production, the latest mid-year population estimates available were mid-2023). All rates are calculated as per 100,000 population.

Regional classification was based on place of residence of reported cases and classified using the nomenclature of territorial units for statistics, level 1 (NUTS1) codes.

The deprivation level of an area (Index of Multiple Deprivation decile) was mapped to each case using patient home postcode.

When calculating the median of the previous 5 years, 2020 and 2021 were excluded due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore the 5-year median was calculated from the same period in 2017 to 2019 and 2022 to 2023.

Salmonella laboratory data 2015 to 2024

Annual data 2015 to 2024

All non-typhoidal Salmonella

Table 1 and Figure 1 show the trend of non-typhoidal Salmonella laboratory reports in England from 2015 to 2024. The number of non-typhoidal Salmonella laboratory reports increased by 17.1% between 2023 and 2024 (from 8,872 to 10,388). The rate of non-typhoidal Salmonella laboratory reports per 100,000 population increased by 16.9% between 2023 and 2024 (from 15.4 per 100,000 population to 18.0 per 100,000 population).

Table 1. Annual laboratory reports of non-typhoidal Salmonella in England from 2015 to 2024

Year	Number of laboratory reports	Laboratory reports per 100,000 population
2015	8,185	14.9
2016	8,237	14.9
2017	8,670	15.6
2018	8,843	15.8
2019	8,402	14.9
2020	4,768	8.5
2021	4,997	8.8
2022	8,286	14.5
2023	8,872	15.4
2024	10,388	18.0

Figure 1. Annual laboratory reports of non-typhoidal Salmonella in England from 2015 to 2024

Salmonella Enteritidis

Table 2 and Figure 2 show the trend of Salmonella Enteritidis laboratory reports in England from 2015 to 2024. The number of Salmonella Enteritidis laboratory reports increased by 16.8% between 2023 and 2024 (from 2,711 to 3,166). The rate of Salmonella Enteritidis laboratory reports per 100,000 population increased by 17.0% between 2023 and 2024 (from 4.7 per 100,000 population to 5.5 per 100,000 population).

Table 2. Annual laboratory reports of Salmonella Enteritidis in England from 2015 to 2024

Year	Number of laboratory reports	Laboratory reports per 100,000 population
2015	2,372	4.3
2016	2,219	4.0
2017	2,324	4.2
2018	2,589	4.6
2019	2,514	4.5
2020	1,290	2.3
2021	747	1.3
2022	2,069	3.6
2023	2,711	4.7
2024	3,166	5.5

Figure 2. Annual laboratory reports of Salmonella Enteritidis in England from 2015 to 2024

Salmonella Typhimurium

Table 3 and Figure 3 show the trend of Salmonella Typhimurium laboratory reports in England from 2015 to 2024. The data includes Typhimurium and monophasic Typhimurium 1,4,[5],12:i:- serotypes. The number of Salmonella Typhimurium laboratory reports increased by 15.2% between 2023 and 2024 (from 1,473 to 1,697). The rate of Salmonella Typhimurium laboratory reports per 100,000 population increased by 11.5% between 2023 and 2024 (from 2.6 per 100,000 population to 2.9 per 100,000 population).

Table 3. Annual laboratory reports of Salmonella Typhimurium in England from 2015 to 2024

Year	Number of laboratory reports	Laboratory reports per 100,000 population
2015	1,627	3.0
2016	1,715	3.1
2017	1,965	3.5
2018	1,913	3.4
2019	1,569	2.8
2020	1,171	2.1
2021	1,199	2.1
2022	1,772	3.1
2023	1,473	2.6
2024	1,697	2.9

Figure 3. Annual laboratory reports of Salmonella Typhimurium in England 2015 to 2024

Regional data

Table 4 displays the number of non-typhoidal Salmonella laboratory reports per region in 2024 as well as the rate per 100,000 population.   

Compared to 2023, the rate of non-typhoidal Salmonella laboratory reports per 100,000 population increased during 2024 in all regions except the South West, where the rate decreased by 2.8% from 17.8 to 17.3 reports per 100,000 population. In 2024, London had the highest rate of laboratory reports at 24.2 per 100,000 population and the lowest rate was in the East Midlands, with 15.1 laboratory reports per 100,000 population. The biggest increases compared to 2023 were in London (24.7% increase) and the West Midlands (24.3% increase), which rose from 19.4 to 24.2 per 100,000 population and 13.6 to 16.9 per 100,000 population, respectively.

Table 4. Regional distribution of laboratory reports of non-typhoidal Salmonella in England 2024

Region	Laboratory reports	Laboratory reports per 100,000 population	Percentage change in rates compared to 2023
East Midlands	752	15.1	17.1 % increase
East of England	1,106	17.1	19.6% increase
London	2,168	24.2	24.7% increase
North East	502	18.5	11.4% increase
North West	1,194	15.7	9.8% increase
South East	1,636	17.3	21.8% increase
South West	1,004	17.3	2.8% decrease
West Midlands	1,027	16.9	24.3% increase
Yorkshire and the Humber	999	17.9	22.6% increase

Top 10 Salmonella serovars in 2024

Table 5 displays the number of laboratory reports for the top ten most commonly reported Salmonella serovars in 2024. In 2024, the top 2 reported Salmonella serovars were S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium (including monophasic Typhimurium 1,4,[5],12:i-), which is consistent with the findings from 2023. For S. Enteritidis, there was a 16.8% increase in laboratory reports between 2023 and 2024 (from 2,710 to 3,166) and for S. Typhimurium (including monophasic Typhimurium 1,4,[5],12:i-) there was a 15.4% increase (from 1,471 to 1,697). Compared to 2023, there have been increases in S. Newport (47.4% increase from 215 to 317) and S. Java (36.1% increase from 133 to 181). There has also been a 38.5% decrease in S. Infantis (from 257 to 158).

Table 5. List of top 10 non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars reported in England 2024

Serovar	Laboratory reports
Enteritidis	3,166
Typhimurium (including monophasic Typhimurium 1,4,[5],12:i:-)	1,697
Newport	317
Java	181
Infantis	158
Agona	151
Kentucky	149
Mikawasima	145
Chester	135
Saintpaul	135

Age and sex distribution in 2024

All non-typhoidal Salmonella

Figure 4 shows the age and sex distribution of non-typhoidal Salmonella laboratory reports in England during 2024, 46 laboratory reports were excluded where case age or sex was unknown. Overall, 51.4% of reported cases with information available were female and the most affected age group was the 0 to 9 age category, accounting for 21.5% of total laboratory reports.

Figure 4. Age and sex distribution of laboratory reports of non-typhoidal Salmonella in England in 2024 (n = 10,342)

Salmonella Enteritidis

Figure 5 shows the age and sex distribution of Salmonella Enteritidis laboratory reports in England during 2024, 1 laboratory report was excluded where case age or sex was unknown. Overall, 50.5% of reported cases were male and the most affected age group was the 0 to 9 age category, accounting for 23.4% of total laboratory reports.

Figure 5. Age and sex distribution of laboratory reports of Salmonella Enteritidis in England in 2024 (n = 3,165)

Salmonella Typhimurium

Figure 6 shows the age and sex distribution of Salmonella Typhimurium laboratory reports in England during 2024, there was no missing data for case age or sex. Overall, 50.7% of reported cases were male and the most affected age group was the 0 to 9 age category, accounting for 25.5% of total laboratory reports.

Figure 6. Age and sex distribution of laboratory reports of Salmonella Typhimurium in England in 2024 (n= 1,697)

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) in 2024

Table 6 shows the number of  non-typhoidal Salmonella cases by  Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) decile. Cases were mapped to IMD decile by home residency postcode. A total of 167 cases were excluded where IMD decile could not be mapped. The median IMD decile of non-typhoidal Salmonella cases was 5 (inter quartile range: 3 to 8).

Table 6. Number of non-typhoidal Salmonella cases per Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) decile in England 2024

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) deciles	Total number of cases (%)
1 (Most deprived)	990 (9.7)
2	1,076 (10.5)
3	1,101 (10.8)
4	1,082 (10.6)
5	1,012 (9.9)
6	975 (9.5)
7	995 (9.7)
8	1,017 (10.0)
9	957 (9.4)
10 (Least deprived)	1,016 (9.9)
TOTAL	10,221

Seasonal variation in 2024

Figure 7 shows the seasonal trend of laboratory reporting for all non-typhoidal Salmonella, Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium in England during 2024 by month. In 2024, the number of laboratory reports per month of all non-typhoidal Salmonella broadly followed the same trend as the median of the previous 5 years, 2017 to 2019 and 2022 to 2023 (excluding 2020 and 2021), peak reporting occurred in September.

Figure 7. Seasonality of laboratory reports of all non-typhoidal Salmonella, Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium in England in 2024

Foodborne outbreak data in 2024

Table 7. Foodborne outbreaks of non-typhoidal Salmonella reported in England in 2024 (Note 1)

Agent	Total affected	Laboratory confirmed	Hospitalised (Note 2)	Deaths  (Note 2)	Setting	Food description	Strength of Evidence (Note 3)
Salmonella Typhimurium	29	18	4	Unknown	Restaurant	Not identified	Not applicable
Salmonella Enteritidis	17	4	4	Unknown	Restaurant	Eggs	Strong
Salmonella Enteritidis	7	7	3	Unknown	Restaurant	Eggs	Strong
Salmonella Blockley	81	81	14	Unknown	National	Tomatoes	Strong
Salmonella Strathcona	24	24	Unknown	Unknown	National	Tomatoes	Strong
Salmonella Anatum	37	37	4	Unknown	National	Not identified	Not applicable
Salmonella Typhimurium	109	109	6	Unknown	National	Red meat products	Strong

Note 1: Number of cases affected and number laboratory confirmed is for cases resident in England. Where the outbreak spanned more than one year, only the number of cases reported in 2024 is included in the table.

Note 2: Clinical outcome is not known for all cases and the data reported represents cases who have hospitalisations or deaths reported to national surveillance.

Note 3: The strength and nature of evidence linking the consumption of a particular food to outbreak cases is consistent with internationally recognised definitions of the categories and strength of evidence (20)

Conclusions

In 2024, the number of non-typhoidal Salmonella laboratory reports were the highest reported in the past decade, which appears to be driven by increases in both Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium. Similar to 2023, the highest number of laboratory confirmed cases of non-typhoidal Salmonella in 2024 were in London. However, there was also a notable increase in the West Midlands.

In 2024, September was the peak month for reported cases of non-typhoidal Salmonella, consistent with the 5-year median from 2017 to 2019 and 2022 to 2023 (excluding 2020 and 2021). Representation of male to female cases was approximately 50% (where case gender was known), with 0 to 9 years being the most affected age group. Salmonella Enteritidis was the most commonly reported serovar, consistent with previous years. The increase is likely multifactorial and at least partially driven by increased molecular enteric diagnostic testing, changes in cooking and food storage practices affected by cost of living and changes in the food supply chain. Further research and analysis is required to understand this increase, the impact of  environmental sources such as raw pet food also need to be studied.

Seven outbreaks of Salmonella were reported to national surveillance in 2024, comprising 304 cases of which 280 cases were laboratory confirmed. These outbreaks were associated with the consumption of multiple different food vehicles, including: eggs, tomatoes and red meat products.

Data sources

Laboratory reported diagnoses of Salmonella is derived from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), formerly Public Health England (PHE), Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS). This is a live laboratory reporting system therefore numbers are subject to change.

Outbreaks of salmonellosis are reported to the Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Safety (One Health) (GIFSOH) division’s Electronic Foodborne and non-foodborne Outbreak Surveillance System (eFOSS) and the UKHSA Case and Incident Management System (CIMS), which are also live surveillance systems and therefore numbers are subject to change.

The population data used for England and Wales were sourced from the Office for National Statistics, mid-year 2023 estimates are available at

Data caveats

This report was produced using laboratory data for England only, therefore the number of Salmonella laboratory reports published in previous reports which include data from other UK countries may differ to those included in this report. As data was extracted from SGSS, a live laboratory reporting system, the data are subject to change and historical totals may differ slightly.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to:

• the NHS and private sector diagnostic laboratories, microbiologists and local authorities, health protection and environmental health specialists who have contributed data and reports to national surveillance systems
• the epidemiologists and information officers who have worked on the national surveillance of intestinal infectious diseases
• colleagues in the Gastrointestinal Bacterial Reference Unit (GBRU) for providing the Reference Laboratory ÌìÃÀÓ°Ôº and laboratory surveillance functions and expertise
• UKHSAÌý(´Ú´Ç°ù³¾±ð°ù±ô²âÌýPHE) Information Management Department for maintenance and quality assurance of UKHSA national surveillance databases used for Gastrointestinal Infections (GI) pathogen surveillance at the national level
• UKHSAÌý(´Ú´Ç°ù³¾±ð°ù±ô²âÌýPHE) Local Public Health Laboratories and Food Water and Environmental Microbiology ÌìÃÀÓ°Ôº for providing a surveillance function for GI pathogens and testing of food and environmental samples routinely and during outbreak investigations
• all colleagues who have investigated and reported outbreaks to the eFOSS surveillance database

Prepared by: Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Safety (One Health) Division, UKHSA.

For queries relating to this document, please contact: EEDD@ukhsa.gov.uk.

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