One dead and 207 ill in UK salmonella outbreak linked to imported eggs

Health officials warn as salmonella cases continue to rise

The UK Health Security Agency has identified 207 cases between 11 August 2025 and 1 August this year, with infections rising in recent weeks, and more than a third of those affected have needed hospital care.

Of the 207 cases, 199 were in England, six in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland, according to figures published by the Independent.

London recorded the highest regional total with 47 confirmed cases, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber with 38. Those infected range in age from babies to people of 90.

What is causing the salmonella outbreak?

The UKHSA, the agency behind public warnings on everything from contaminated food to England’s heat health alerts, said it was working with the Food Standards Agency to trace the source. Hannah Charles, its lead epidemiologist for gastrointestinal infections, set out what investigators know so far.

“We’re working with Food Standards Agency and other public health agencies to investigate a salmonella outbreak that may be linked to eggs imported from outside of the UK,

Salmonella generally causes a mild illness, although vulnerable groups with weakened immune systems may experience more severe illness.”

Hannah Charles, UKHSA

Symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramps, being sick, stomach pain and a high temperature, and can follow at any point after eating or handling contaminated food. The outbreak has been linked to one specific strain, and the investigation into which imported eggs are responsible is continuing.