Open Data Are Urgently Needed for One Health-Based Investigations: The Example of the 2024 Salmonella Umbilo...

In 2024, a significant Salmonella Umbilo outbreak was reported across the European Union and beyond, traced to contaminated vegetables originating from the Province of Salerno (Italy). Subsequent on-site inspections in the production area revealed a mismanaged manure storage tank, which became the focus of a GIS-based investigation aimed at locating nearby animal establishments. Within a 1-km radius-encompassing both the tank and the contaminated greenhouses-three buffalo farms were identified. Farm inspections revealed buffalo calves exhibiting enteric symptoms. Fecal samples collected from these animals led to the isolation of S. Umbilo genomically linked to the 2024 multi-country outbreak, as well as other serotypes. To thoroughly investigate, data from official EU and Italian databases were analyzed, to detect the presence of S. Umbilo in vegetables, buffalo, and other livestock within the Province of Salerno. However, the lack of access to critical data needed to clarify the epidemiological links at the human-animal-environment interface has hindered the full reconstruction of the outbreak dynamics. These limitations underscore the urgent need to implement One Health strategies by promoting interdisciplinary collaboration among veterinarians, physicians, food technologists, biologists and other professionals; leveraging official open access databases; and adopting emerging technologies as interoperable data systems and drone surveillance.