E.coli cases in N.S. and N.B. now linked to cases in Ontario; UPDATE - now 30 cases

[Catbird]

E. coli outbreak linked to Ontario

"An E. coli outbreak in Atlantic Canada has now been linked to Ontario.

Five of 10 cases being investigated in Nova Scotia and all six cases in New Brunswick are connected to four cases in Ontario, the Public Health Agency of Canada said.

?Based on the ongoing epidemiological and microbiological investigations conducted to date, it is likely that the people involved all got sick from the same source,? PHAC said in a statement.

Specimens from the five remaining N.S. cases have been sent to Winnipeg for analysis to determine whether they too are connected.

The infections date back to Dec. 22.

N.S. Health officials said Monday they?d narrowed down the source of the contamination to some kind of processed food that is widely distributed, likely through restaurants...".

[Shiloh]

Re: E.coli cases in N.S. and N.B. now linked to cases in Ontario

Source: http://www.680news.com/2013/01/11/no...ak-to-lettuce/


10 cases of E.coli in Ontario linked to Maritimes outbreak
The Canadian Press Jan 11, 2013 08:41:09 PM

HALIFAX ? Lettuce used at KFC and Taco Bell outlets is the likely source of a recent outbreak of gastro-intestinal illness caused by E. coli bacteria in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario, a health official said Friday.

?The feeling is that it?s a common source across all three provinces,? said Dr. Frank Atherton, Nova Scotia?s deputy chief medical officer...

[Catbird]

Re: E.coli cases in N.S. and N.B. now linked to cases in Ontario

Canadian E. coli Lettuce Outbreak Hits 30


"On Friday a new case of E. coli in New Brunswick brought the total number of victims in Canada?s E. coli lettuce outbreak to 30.

E. coli O157:H7 Illnesses by province are now as follows:

New Brunswick (7), Nova Scotia (10) and Ontario (13).

...Public health investigators have traced the likely cause of the outbreak back to California-grown lettuce distributed by Houston-based FreshPoint, Inc., and sold in Canada primarily to KFC and Taco Bell. Contaminated lettuce may have also been sold to Burger King, Pizza Hut and other retail locations as part of a salad mix."