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Health Canada Confirms Two Cases of Same Salmonella Strain as Recent U.S. Outbreak |
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Written by Staff
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Friday, 03 November 2006 |
Health Canada on Thursday confirmed two human cases of Salmonella poisoning in Canada that match the strain at the centre of a recent outbreak in the United States.
The U.S. outbreak is believed to be carried on fresh produce but a specific source has yet to be identified. The U.S. FDA decided against issuing a consumer warning about fresh produce after determining that the U.S. outbreak has run its course and is no longer ongoing.
In October the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) issued an alert to health units across Canada which resulted in the identification of two separate cases of human Salmonella typhimurium poisoning - one in New Brunswick and the other in PEI. Officials believe at this time that there is "insufficient evidence" to connect the two cases in Canada to in the recent U.S. outbreak. If a specific food source is identified, appropriate actions will be taken to protect consumers.
According to Health Canada, Salmonella are bacteria that cause intestinal illness (Salmonellosis) in humans, usually due to the consumption of undercooked or contaminated food. Salmonella typhimurium is a common type of the bacteria. Like other foodborne illnesses, the symptoms of salmonellosis can feel like the flu. Symptoms usually appear 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and usually last up to seven days. |
