The death toll from the salmonellosis outbreak caused by contaminated Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes now stands at six deaths in the country. No less than 103 cases of infection have been confirmed in Quebec.
Quebec is thus at the top of the provinces for the number of cases reported while, as of December 15, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has recorded 153 across the country since the start of this outbreak.
“Other infections Salmonella are under investigation, and new cases associated with this outbreak may be confirmed,” specifies PHAC.
The Agency specifies that the infected people fell ill between mid-October and the end of November 2023. At least 53 of them were hospitalized. The majority of sick people are children aged 5 or younger (35%) or adults aged 65 or older (44%).
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.
Salmonellosis is an infection caused mainly by consuming food contaminated with the bacteria called salmonella. The illness is accompanied by symptoms that may include fever, nausea, vomiting, headache and abdominal cramps, recalls the PHAC.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also investigating an outbreak of salmonellosis cases associated with cantaloupes, cases that share the same genetic strain as those documented in Canada.