The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with provincial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada to investigate an outbreak of E. coli.
The outbreak is linked to romaine lettuce. At this time, there are no product recalls associated with this outbreak.
The risk to Canadians is low. However, Canadians are reminded to follow safe food handling practices for lettuce to avoid becoming ill. Most people with an E. coli infection will become ill for a few days and then recover fully.
Some E. Coli infections can be life threatening, though this is rare.
Most E. coli strains are harmless to humans, but some varieties cause illness.
Currently, there are 21 cases of E. coli O157 illness under investigation in three provinces: Quebec (3), New Brunswick (5), and Newfoundland and Labrador (13).
Individuals became sick in November 2017. Ten individuals have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Individuals who became ill are between the ages of 5 and 72 years of age. The majority of cases (71%) are female.
Many individuals who became sick reported eating romaine lettuce before their illnesses occurred. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with public health officials to determine the source of the romaine lettuce that ill individuals were exposed to.
Although anyone can get an E. coli infection, pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems, young children and older adults are most at risk for developing serious complications.
The following food safety tips for lettuce will help you reduce your risk of getting an E. coli infection:
Wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds, before and after handling lettuce.
Discard outer leaves of fresh lettuce.
Wash your unpackaged lettuce under fresh, cool running water. There is no need to use anything other than water to wash lettuce. Washing it gently with water is as effective as using produce cleansers.
Keep rinsing your lettuce until all of the dirt has been washed away.
Don’t soak lettuce in a sink full of water. It can become contaminated by bacteria in the sink.
Ready-to-eat lettuce products sold in sealed packages and labelled as washed, pre-washed or triple washed do not need to be washed again.
Use warm water and soap to thoroughly wash all utensils, countertops and cutting boards before and after handling lettuce to avoid cross-contamination.
Store lettuce in the refrigerator for up to seven days. Discard when leaves become wilted or brown.
Bagged, ready-to-eat, pre-washed lettuce products should also be refrigerated and used before the expiration date.
The following symptoms can appear within one to ten days after contact with the bacteria:
nausea
vomiting
headache
mild fever
severe stomach cramps
watery or bloody diarrhea
Most symptoms end within five to ten days.
You should contact your health care provider if symptoms persist.