TL;DR
A study examined an increase in Swiss hepatitis E infections between January and May 2021 and found indications that some pork products may have been involved. Researchers could not identify a specific food item as the source. The reported cases included hospitalizations and two deaths among men over 65.
Researchers investigating an increase in hepatitis E cases in Switzerland from January to May 2021 found indications that some pork products may have been involved, but they could not identify a specific food source. The findings, reported in the journal IJID One Health, describe illnesses that included 29 hospitalizations and two deaths.
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The study examined the rise in hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections recorded during the five-month period. According to the report by Food Safety News, 55 people reported at least one symptom, while 30 reported no symptoms. These figures describe people in the investigated group; the available report does not provide further detail on how cases were identified or whether the figures cover every infection during the increase.
Twenty-nine people were hospitalized because of their HEV infection. Two men older than 65 died. For one of the men, the report says the cause of death was neurological complications after HEV infection. It does not give a cause of death for the other man.
The researchers’ findings point toward some pork products as a possible source, not a confirmed product or brand. The study did not establish which item caused the infections, and the report does not describe a specific product withdrawal or recall connected to this cluster.
The Implications of an Unidentified Food Source
The findings are relevant because the investigated cases included hospitalizations and deaths, while investigators could not trace the increase to a particular food item. The report does not identify a specific food or brand for consumers to avoid based on this investigation.
The possible link to pork products may inform further public-health work on exposure routes, but it is not proof of a particular source. The reported outcomes indicate that some people required hospital care, and the report records two deaths among older men.
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The 2021 Swiss Case Increase
The investigation concerns an increase that took place in Switzerland between January and May 2021. The report describes it as unprecedented, but does not provide a numerical comparison with earlier years or specify how large the increase was.
Researchers published their findings in IJID One Health, a scientific journal. Food Safety News reported on the study on November 12, 2026. The available source material focuses on the suspected role of pork products and the reported health outcomes; it does not set out a detailed timeline of the investigation or identify other suspected sources.
“Some pork products were indicated, but the specific food item could not be identified.”
— The researchers, as summarized by Food Safety News
The Source Remains Unidentified
The central uncertainty is which specific food, if any, transmitted the infections. The report says some pork products were indicated, but does not name a product, producer, brand, or confirmed contamination event. It also does not explain what evidence supported the suspected link or whether investigators ruled out other possible exposures.
Further details about the full case count, methods, and the second death are not included in the source material. The findings concern infections from 2021; the report does not say whether the same pattern is continuing now or whether any current public-health alert is in place.
Further Details From the Study
The study has been published in IJID One Health, where its full methods and evidence may provide more detail on how investigators assessed possible food sources. The available report does not announce a new investigation, a recall, or a scheduled public-health action.
Readers should distinguish the study’s indication of a possible pork link from identification of a specific contaminated product. Any further conclusions would depend on evidence not included in the report. No new case figures or follow-up findings are provided in the available source.
Key Questions
What did the Swiss hepatitis E study find?
Researchers studying infections from January to May 2021 found indications that some pork products may have been involved. They could not identify the specific food item responsible.
How many people were hospitalized?
The report says 29 people were hospitalized because of hepatitis E during the investigated increase.
Were there deaths linked to the infections?
Two men older than 65 died. For one, the report identifies neurological complications after hepatitis E infection as the cause of death. It does not state the cause of the other man’s death.
Did researchers identify a contaminated pork product?
No. The findings indicated some pork products, but researchers were unable to identify a specific food item as the source.
When did the increase in cases occur?
The study examined an increase in Switzerland from January through May 2021. The findings were reported in November 2026.
Source: foodsafetynews.com
