Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Canadian death toll in cantaloupe salmonella outbreak rises to seven

Share
OTTAWA -

The Public Health Agency of Canada is reporting another death from a salmonella outbreak involving cantaloupes, bringing the total to seven.

The agency says there have been 164 lab-confirmed cases of salmonella in eight provinces linked to Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes so far.

Quebec has been hardest hit with 111 of those cases. There have also been illnesses in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The majority of people who became sick are children aged five and younger and adults aged 65 and older.

The agency says 61 people have been hospitalized.

It says if people have fresh or frozen cantaloupe at home and they are unsure what brand the fruit is, they should throw it out and wash their hands.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency first issued recall warnings on Nov. 1.

The affected Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes were sold between Oct. 10 and Nov. 24.

The food inspection agency has also recalled fruit trays and other fruit such as honeydew, pineapple and watermelon that were processed alongside recalled cantaloupes.

Salmonella symptoms can include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and abdominal cramps. They usually start six to 72 hours after eating food contaminated with salmonella bacteria. Most people usually recover within a week.

The public health agency says those infected with salmonella can pass the illness on to other people and should not prepare food for others.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. 

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A B.C. condo owner who was blamed for a cockroach infestation in her building and charged thousands of dollars for the cost of eradicating the bugs must be refunded, the civil resolution tribunal ruled.

Local Spotlight

On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.

A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.