Ontario government declares E. coli outbreak over
Ontario government declares E. coli outbreak over
Although the source was not able to be confirmed, the Ontario government has declared the recent E. coli outbreak in southeastern part of the province over.
The outbreak, which sickened 67 people, 29 of whom were confirmed to have the same DNA fingerprint of E. coli O157:H7, began in the regional municipality of Niagara in the latter part of October and also involved the region of Halton, the region of Waterloo, Guelph and Hamilton. Nine people were hospitalized, and two developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that causes blood to clot, destroying red blood cells and can also cause kidney failure.
The outbreak was declared over Dec. 5 "because more than 20 days passed since the onset of the last probable outbreak-related case, a time period sufficient to conclude that no further outbreak cases are expected," according to a press release issued by the provincial Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care.
An additional 38 cases were classified as "probable" but according to the release "will never be reclassified as confirmed cases, as confirmed cases require laboratory confirmation and a PFGE pattern (DNA fingerprint) that matches the outbreak pattern. Laboratory confirmation or PFGE patterns were not obtained for these cases for reasons such as recovery from illness before samples were taken."
Romaine lettuce was implicated in the outbreak, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the California Department of Public Health were conducting an investigation that officials said involved product initially thought to be grown in Salinas, CA, although there was no conclusive evidence to confirm that suspicion.
Rene Cardinal, acting national manager of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's fresh fruit & vegetable program, told The Produce News Dec. 9 that he did not have any new information on the status of the investigation and did not know the name of the grower or growers being investigated, other than to say that the investigation "was and has always been in the Salinas Valley."
"Through excellent cooperation, & our local investigation strongly pointed to Romaine lettuce as the likely cause of the E. coli illnesses," the regional municipality of Niagara's public health department said in a press release. "Based on information provided to our health unit, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in cooperation with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, were able to identify the production field in Southern California from which the suspect Romaine lettuce originated. We understand the on-site investigations have been inconclusive as to the potential source of the contamination of the Romaine lettuce. However, the review and environmental tests took place more than six weeks after the date that Niagara Region Public Health estimated the Romaine lettuce was being distributed and consumed. Niagara Region Public Health has concluded that the outbreak was the result of two restaurants being commercially supplied with E. coli-contaminated, ready-to-eat produce."
The outbreak, which sickened 67 people, 29 of whom were confirmed to have the same DNA fingerprint of E. coli O157:H7, began in the regional municipality of Niagara in the latter part of October and also involved the region of Halton, the region of Waterloo, Guelph and Hamilton. Nine people were hospitalized, and two developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that causes blood to clot, destroying red blood cells and can also cause kidney failure.
The outbreak was declared over Dec. 5 "because more than 20 days passed since the onset of the last probable outbreak-related case, a time period sufficient to conclude that no further outbreak cases are expected," according to a press release issued by the provincial Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care.
An additional 38 cases were classified as "probable" but according to the release "will never be reclassified as confirmed cases, as confirmed cases require laboratory confirmation and a PFGE pattern (DNA fingerprint) that matches the outbreak pattern. Laboratory confirmation or PFGE patterns were not obtained for these cases for reasons such as recovery from illness before samples were taken."
Romaine lettuce was implicated in the outbreak, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the California Department of Public Health were conducting an investigation that officials said involved product initially thought to be grown in Salinas, CA, although there was no conclusive evidence to confirm that suspicion.
Rene Cardinal, acting national manager of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's fresh fruit & vegetable program, told The Produce News Dec. 9 that he did not have any new information on the status of the investigation and did not know the name of the grower or growers being investigated, other than to say that the investigation "was and has always been in the Salinas Valley."
"Through excellent cooperation, & our local investigation strongly pointed to Romaine lettuce as the likely cause of the E. coli illnesses," the regional municipality of Niagara's public health department said in a press release. "Based on information provided to our health unit, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in cooperation with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, were able to identify the production field in Southern California from which the suspect Romaine lettuce originated. We understand the on-site investigations have been inconclusive as to the potential source of the contamination of the Romaine lettuce. However, the review and environmental tests took place more than six weeks after the date that Niagara Region Public Health estimated the Romaine lettuce was being distributed and consumed. Niagara Region Public Health has concluded that the outbreak was the result of two restaurants being commercially supplied with E. coli-contaminated, ready-to-eat produce."
