Following the events of 11 September 2001, the ensuing spectre of bioterrorism and considerable efforts planning for the unthinkable (1), this Eurosurveillance issue reminds us of the continuing threat to public health from well-recognised pathogens, sometimes mistakenly judged to be controlled. Recently the incidence of salmonellosis has decreased substantially across the European Union, the number of cases reported to Enternet (2) declining from 100 267 in the peak year of 1997 to 73 006 in 2001 (I.S.T. Fisher - personal communication). However, recent events and the following articles illustrate continued challenges in salmonella control.