Salmonella in school canteens in Tuscany: update

A specific strain of Salmonella is believed to be the source of the poisoning incident that affected children who consumed school canteen meals in the municipalities of the Piana Fiorentina (Florence area) towards the end of September. The results of the microbiological analyses conducted on the samples collected from the affected canteens were announced during a meeting held in the presence of local health and political authorities of Sesto Fiorentino (Florence province). 223 cases were recorded, comprising 221 children and two adults. The outbreak was attributed to food poisoning from Sicilian cherry tomatoes. Renzo Berti, director of the Department of Prevention ASL Toscana Centro, explained that a particular type of Salmonella Strathcona had been identified, and also been found in Europe. The Italian Ministry of Health has prepared a document on consuming raw fruit and vegetables, an absolute novelty in the panorama of infected foods. So far, Salmonella has been linked to eggs and meat, but the fruit and vegetable sector has never been investigated. Data collected by the Tuscan health authorities has been used to detect this Salmonella strain around Europe, as traces have been found in Austria, Germany, and Denmark.