Which food categories cause salmonellosis in Australia?

Using data on salmonellosis and Salmonella isolations from foods and animals gathered by the National Enteric Pathogens Surveillance Scheme (NEPSS), an attempt has been made, by serovar matching, to quantify the involvement of different food commodities in salmonellosis. Based on NEPSS data from 2000, it is suggested that poultry and egg products were associated with 35% of salmonelloses, meat products with 31%, plant foods with 10% and the remainder (24%) with "Other" food categories. Serovar matching from the same primary data sources also implicates pet animals as a possible source of salmonellosis. A need is indicated for more proactive links between food testing and controlling authorities in order to reverse current upwards trends in food poisoning in Australia.