In 2020, a total of 21 foodborne illness outbreaks were reported, 27 fewer than in 2019. In total, 67 people were affected by the outbreaks, significantly fewer than the 793 people in the previous year. 17 people required hospitalization in connection with the outbreaks (2019: 159), and there were no deaths (2019: 1 death). 5 outbreaks were general outbreaks as opposed to 16 household outbreaks. Campylobacter emerged as the most common outbreak agent (10 outbreaks, 26 people affected), in one of these outbreaks C. jejuni and VTEC O157:H7 were simultaneously isolated from the two patients. Salmonella was second (7 outbreaks, 28 cases), and one outbreak each was due to VTEC (6 cases), TBE virus (3 cases), Listeria monocytogenes (2 cases), and Brucella melitensis (2 cases). Three of the 21 foodborne illness outbreaks can be classified as strong evidence outbreaks. The listeriosis outbreak(L. monocytogenes IIa, cluster 4 - 2020 (Ny9 UI-687) with 2 cases in Austria, affected 47 people across Europe, caused by smoked trout fillets produced in Denmark. Another outbreak (12 cases) was caused by consumption of poultry meat contaminated with S. Enteritidis from a take-away/snack bar. One TBE virus outbreak in three individuals was caused by consumption of raw goat milk and raw goat milk cheese.

Four outbreaks were acquired abroad, one caused by the pathogen Brucella melitensis, probably after consumption of sheep meat in Croatia, and one outbreak of salmonellosis(S. Enteritidis) after a stay in Poland (food unknown).

The Austrian Zoonoses Act obliges AGES to collect and report outbreak data to the EU on an annual basis. Certain classifications result for this reporting: Outbreaks where only members of a single household are affected are considered a household outbreak. If people from more than one household are affected, this is counted as a general outbreak. Household outbreaks account for the majority each year because it is often not possible to link cases of illness from different household outbreaks epidemiologically by identifying a single causative food. In 2020, 76% of all outbreaks were classified as household outbreaks.

In accordance with the provisions of the Epidemic Act, the locally competent district administrative authorities must immediately initiate the surveys and investigations necessary to determine the disease and the source of infection through the official physicians available to them for each report and suspicion of the occurrence of a notifiable disease - and thus also in the case of food-borne outbreaks. In addition, the Zoonoses Act 2005 requires the relevant competent authorities to investigate food-borne outbreaks and, where possible, to carry out appropriate epidemiological and microbiological investigations.

The authorities have the possibility to call in experts. In the past, the mere intensification of unspecific food sampling has repeatedly proven to be unsuccessful. In many outbreaks, the causative food (or the contaminated batch of the causative product concerned) is no longer available for microbiological testing at the time of the surveys.

In these cases, an epidemiological study can provide information that will enable preventive measures to be taken to avoid similar incidents in the future. The knowledge gained from successfully clarified national and international outbreaks in recent years has undermined the need for and benefits of epidemiological investigations.