The Salmonella Stanley infection involving 167 confirmed and 254 probable cases has been reported in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Poland. Food and veterinary investigations conducted in these Member States suggest a likely connection to the turkey production chain and the outbreak.

The European agencies were asked to provide this joint advice given the rarity of the Salmonella type but stress the importance of putting this incident into the context of the 100,000 human cases of salmonellosis reported in the EU each year.

Nevertheless, the agencies take the opportunity to highlight the importance for persons working in the food chain at all levels (from production to catering) as well as consumers to be very strict with personal (hand washing) and food hygiene (avoid cross contamination between ready-to-eat and raw meat) particularly when handling raw turkey meat at this time.