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Austrian authorities have warned people not to eat raw cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta in Sicily after infections linked to Salmonella outbreaks. Austria has reported 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases; officials advise thoroughly heating the tomatoes if they are used.
Austrian authorities have warned consumers against eating raw cherry tomatoes from the Sicilian areas of Ragusa and Caltanissetta, citing a connection to recurring Salmonella outbreaks. The warning follows reports of 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases in Austria, as health agencies investigate infections and possible contaminated produce across Europe.
The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) and the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMASGPK) said the alert applies to raw cherry tomatoes from the two named areas. They advised that tomatoes from those regions should be thoroughly heated before consumption if they are used. The supplied report does not identify a specific brand, retailer or batch covered by the warning.
Among the 29 Austrian cases reported as confirmed or probable, one person became ill during winter and 28 fell ill from late July. Seven people were hospitalized. Patients ranged in age from 10 months to 79 years, with a median age of 36; 17 were male and 12 female. Investigators said early patient interviews pointed to travel in Italy and tomato consumption. Six cases were considered likely to have been acquired abroad: five patients had traveled to Italy and one to Croatia before becoming ill.
The report says Italian authorities earlier in October detected monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Strathcona in cherry tomatoes. They also reported 117 salmonellosis cases in Brescia and 15 in Bergamo. Those figures concern salmonellosis reports in Italy; the supplied material does not establish that every case was caused by the same contaminated tomatoes.
A Warning With Cross-Border Reach
The warning matters because the suspected food is a fresh product that may be eaten without cooking, while the reported illness pattern spans multiple countries. Advice to heat affected tomatoes is a practical way to reduce exposure when they are used, but it does not identify which individual products are implicated or confirm that a particular purchase is unsafe.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said the recurrence of cases suggests ongoing transmission and distribution of contaminated produce, both in Italy and beyond. The agency warned that further infections may occur while seasonal deliveries continue. That assessment is a public-health warning, not confirmation that every tomato from the specified regions is contaminated.
For consumers, the immediate point is to follow the Austrian warning for raw cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta and to cook them thoroughly if they are used. For food businesses and institutions, the developments in Italy and Slovenia underline the need to follow local official instructions on affected produce and food preparation.
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A Recurring European Outbreak Pattern
The current warning is part of a longer series of Salmonella Strathcona infections. According to the source report, more than 160 confirmed infections have been recorded in 10 European countries since July 2026, with sequencing results still pending for another 100 patients. Separately, between 2023 and 2026, about 800 people fell ill in 17 European countries, including 133 in Austria. Cases have tended to occur from late summer through December.
Investigators have cited genetic similarities among infections, seasonal timing, patient interviews and food investigations as evidence supporting a common-source hypothesis. The source report says AGES detected the outbreak strain in organic cherry tomatoes from Italy in late 2025. It also says the strain was found in irrigation water at a tomato producer in Sicily. These findings contribute to the investigation; the report does not say they identify the cause of every case in the current wave.
Other countries have taken separate precautions. Authorities in Italy’s Puglia region suspended the serving of raw fresh tomatoes in food-preparation centers and institutional catering facilities, including schools, nurseries, care homes and hospitals. In Slovenia, officials were notified that a lot of Italian cherry tomatoes had been delivered to catering companies between Sept. 7 and 9. The Slovenian administration said checks found the stock had been used and was not available through retailers; it reported no tomato-linked outbreaks since Sept. 7.
““The risk for new infections remains as long as the seasonal delivery of contaminated produce continues.””
— European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
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The Source Is Not Yet Settled
The available information does not establish which grower, shipment or individual tomato lots are responsible for the Austrian cases, or whether all cases reported in the different countries share one source. Patient interviews and food investigations support a common-source hypothesis, but authorities have not publicly confirmed a single root cause in the supplied material.
Sequencing results for about 100 additional patients are pending, and the report does not provide a full list of affected products, retailers or distribution routes. It is also unclear how many of the Austrian patients ate tomatoes from the two Sicilian areas, as opposed to having travel or other possible exposures. The 29 Austrian confirmed and probable cases should not be treated as proof that all were linked to tomatoes.
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Investigations and Testing Continue
Health and food-safety authorities are continuing to investigate the infections and the possible produce connection. Pending sequencing results may help determine how closely additional patients’ infections match the outbreak strain. Food investigations will also be needed to clarify where contamination occurred and how affected tomatoes moved through supply chains.
Consumers should follow any updated instructions from Austrian authorities, including the advice not to eat raw cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta and to heat them thoroughly if used. The supplied report does not state when the warning will be lifted or give a date for the next official update.
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Key Questions
Which tomatoes are covered by Austria’s warning?
The warning concerns raw cherry tomatoes from Ragusa and Caltanissetta, two areas in Sicily. The source report does not name a brand, retailer or specific batch.
Can the tomatoes be eaten if they are cooked?
Austrian officials said that if cherry tomatoes from those areas are used, they should be thoroughly heated before consumption. The warning is against eating them raw.
How many Salmonella cases have been reported in Austria?
Authorities have reported 21 confirmed and eight probable Salmonella Strathcona cases. Seven people were hospitalized, according to the source report.
Has one contaminated tomato source been confirmed?
No single root cause is confirmed in the supplied information. Investigators cite genetic relationships, seasonal timing, patient interviews and food findings as support for a common-source hypothesis, while further sequencing and investigation continue.
Are the reported infections limited to Austria?
No. The report says more than 160 confirmed infections have been recorded in 10 European countries since July 2026, with sequencing results pending for about 100 more patients. The individual cases and their sources are still being investigated.
Source: rss
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