Belgium is the European Union’s (EU) salmonellosis hotspot according the latest comparative figures collated by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical agency.


In 2001, 104 cases were recorded in Belgium per 100,000 people, with other high figures being recorded in Germany (94 cases), Luxembourg (83) and Austria (81). By contrast, Britain had 29 cases per 100,000, below the EU average of 40.6. Greece had the lowest number of infections, at a 2.9 rate, followed by Portugal at 5.2.


Eurostat also noted that in 2000, 4.1% of the EU population (15.6 million people) were diabetics, with the highest proportion in Finland (5.3%), Sweden (5.1), Italy and Greece (both 5.0), and lowest in Ireland (2.7).