The Public Health Agency of Canada says an E. coli outbreak has been linked to romaine lettuce. As of the latest update, Health Canada continues to investigate and says there are no product recalls at this time. There is no word yet on the source of the contaminated lettuce.
Health Canada is investigating 30 cases of E. coli illness in five provinces: There are six cases in Ontario, five in Quebec, five in New Brunswick, one in Nova Scotia, and 13 in Newfoundland and Labrador. The age range of cases is between 4 and 80 years old. 70% of the cases are women or girls.
Of these 30 cases, 12 have resulted in hospitalizations and one person has died. Health Canada says many of these people reported eating romaine lettuce before getting sick. Work is ongoing to track down the source of the lettuce.
Health Canada says the risk to Canadians is low, but here’s what to watch out for, if you’ve had romaine recently:
Symptoms can appear one to ten days after coming into contact with E. coli and will typically last five to ten days. Most people will recover on their own, but pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, young children, and the elderly are at greater risk of serious complications. Rarely, E. coli infection could lead to more serious symptoms including stroke, kidney failure and seizures, which could result in death.
Health Canada has some tips to protect your health:
If you have any questions, you can contact Health Canada at: