(Ottawa) Five people have now lost their lives following an outbreak of salmonellosis caused by contaminated Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced Thursday.
In its most recent update regarding this outbreak, PHAC indicated that 129 confirmed cases of salmonellosis have now been identified, almost double the number that was confirmed as of 1er December. At that time, only one death had been reported.
The agency did not specify where the deaths occurred, but noted a sharp increase in cases in Quebec, where the number of infections jumped from 35 to 91 in a week.
The remaining cases are located in Ontario (17), British Columbia (15), Prince Edward Island (2), New Brunswick (2) and Newfoundland and Labrador ( 2).
In total, 44 people had to be hospitalized due to this outbreak. Infected people saw their symptoms appear between mid-October and mid-November.
“The majority of people who have fallen ill are children aged 5 or younger or adults aged 65 or older. Several people say they reside in a long-term care facility, private residence for seniors or attend a daycare,” explained the PHAC in its update published Thursday.
All Malichita brand cantaloupes sold between October 11 and November 14, as well as those of the Rudy brand sold between October 10 and November 24, were the subject of a recall by the Canadian Agency food inspection.
“To prevent illness, avoid eating, serving, using, selling or distributing Malichita brand or Rudy brand cantaloupe or any product containing it. If you are unable to verify the brand of the cantaloupe, it is recommended to throw it away,” said the PHAC, which has been publishing regular updates on this outbreak since mid-November.
Salmonellosis, an infection caused primarily by eating food contaminated with the bacteria called salmonella, has symptoms that may include fever, nausea, vomiting, headache and abdominal cramps.
“Most people who contract salmonellosis recover completely without treatment within a few days, but some people may develop severe salmonellosis and need to be hospitalized,” PHAC added.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also investigating an outbreak of salmonellosis associated with cantaloupes.