[ad_1]
WINNIPEG – Health officials are investigating an outbreak of salmonella in six provinces that has sickened 63 people, 18 of whom have been hospitalized.
The Public Health Agency of Canada announced Friday the existence of laboratory-confirmed cases in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.
The agency said the source of the bacterial infection has not been identified.
"The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is conducting a food safety investigation," says a government statement. "If contaminated food products are identified, they will take steps to protect the public, including by recalling food products as needed.
"Currently, there is no food recall warning badociated with this outbreak."
He says the outbreak appears to be underway, diseases continue to be reported.
Two deaths have been reported, but the agency says it was not determined whether salmonella was a contributory cause.
People who have contracted the disease are between 1 and 87 years old. They became sick between November and March.
The agency said anyone can catch salmonella, but that infants, children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of contracting a serious illness.
Salmonella is a common bacterium that causes intestinal disease. Symptoms may include chills, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
The breakdown of known cases on Friday includes 23 people in BC, ten each in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. There are eight cases in Saskatchewan and two in Quebec.
It is usually caused by the consumption of contaminated food that has not been cooked properly, but can also be pbaded from one person to another if people do not wash their hands after using the toilet.
Earlier Friday, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said two people had died after testing positive for salmonella in a long-term care home in the city, but officials said Health said that it was not confirmed whether the bacterial infection had contributed to the deaths.
Three residents of Golden West Centennial Lodge were tested positive last month and two of them died later in the hospital. The third person recovered.
Joyce Kristjansson, executive director of the retirement home, said staff took special action while the outbreak was being investigated. Residents were not allowed to leave their own floors, all group activities were canceled and the focus was on washing the hands of people entering and leaving the building.
"What I would like to emphasize is that we have a very fragile population here and that we contacted all the families when we were first informed," she said.
The public health inspectors worked with the retirement home to try to determine the beginning of the epidemic. The investigation included a kitchen inspection, but no evidence of contamination was found.
Health officials lifted the measures on Tuesday and cases were reported to a national gut surveillance program and the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
Rick Holley, expert emeritus in food science at the University of Manitoba, said the rate of Salmonella-related hospitalizations in Canada is about 20 cases per 100,000 population . The federal government estimates that there are approximately 87,500 cases each year.
Most people recover from infection after about three days of illness.
"But in about 10% of the population – these are elderly or very young people, or who have a health problem that affects the functioning of their immune system – there can be very serious effects," including including death, he said. I said.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has recalled frozen chicken nuggets three times this year, fearing salmonella contamination.
If people prepare their food properly and respect the rules of hygiene, they can usually avoid serious problems with salmonella, said Holley.
"These organizations do not have fun. They exist to multiply and grow, and they love to grow at body temperature. "
Source link
