Salmonella outbreak: Health Canada identifies 9 new cases

Health Canada has updated its public health notice on the ongoing salmonella outbreak, indicating that nine additional cases of the illness have been identified. The June 18 update raises the number of people affected to 68. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency had issued a food recall warning on June 2 for a frozen chicken product sold by the Loblaws No Name brand. The item that has tested positive for salmonella is the 1 kg pack of chicken burgers, with an expiration date of 2019 FE 06 written on the package. Health Canada’s notice indicates that the province with most reported cases of the illness is Quebec, with 23 cases. Ontario follows with 15 cases. Alberta and Manitoba have nine cases each, while British Columbia has eight. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Northwest Territories each have one reported case. No deaths have been linked to the outbreak, but 15 people have been hospitalized. Since those who contract salmonella can be infectious for up to several weeks, Health Canada suggests people contact their health care provider if they experience symptoms linked with the infection. These include fever, chills, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, nausea, and vomiting. To safely cook whole poultry, the internal temperature should be 82°C (180°F). When cooking poultry pieces or frozen breaded chicken products, the internal temperature should be of 74°C (165°F). Health Canada suggests avoiding cooking raw breaded poultry products in the microwave. It’s important to wash hands with soap and warm water before and after handling raw poultry or the package it was in. Any surface, knives, utensils, or cutting boards that have been in contact with raw poultry should also be washed with warm water and soap. In healthy people, symptoms of salmonellosis often clear up on their own in a few days.