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E. COLI O157, RESTAURANT - CANADA, 2008: (ONTARIO), ONIONS
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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Mon 22 Jun 2009
Source: Canadian Press [edited]
<http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5ilU_LynuFAfhxOe32HT05Xc6OAzQ>
Hundreds of residents in northern Ontario likely suffered painful
food poisoning in the fall of 2008 as a result of contaminated
onions, an investigation has concluded. Officials with the North Bay
Parry Sound District Health Unit pinpointed the popular hamburger
topping as the most probable source of an extensive _E. coli_
[O157:H7] outbreak linked to a Harvey's fast-food restaurant. That
key detail and other findings were released Monday [22 Jun 2009] in
an investigative report into the October 2008 health scare that
sickened upwards of 235 people.
"Our analysis indicates the source of the outbreak at Harvey's was
likely contaminated raw Spanish onions," said Dr. Jim Chirico, acting
medical officer of health. "However, despite thorough environmental
testing, food sampling, trace-back investigation and testing and
interviewing of staff, we were not able to confirm how the onions
became contaminated with the _E. coli_."
The restaurant, located at a major thoroughfare in the city 4 hours
north of Toronto, was shuttered 12 Oct 2008, the same day officials
linked it to the outbreak of _E. coli_ O157:H7.
Of those who became sick, the report tallies 47 confirmed cases, 59
probable cases, 118 suspect cases and 11 secondary cases across the
province, with one sick person living outside of Ontario. One child
suffering hemolytic uremic syndrome, a severe condition, was among 26
people hospitalized. No deaths were reported.
No actual source of contamination was determined by the 9-month
investigation, Chirico said. That's not uncommon, he explained,
because symptoms don't begin to show until one to 10 days after the
tainted food is eaten. "We are not able to determine how the onions
became contaminated, but the risk of exposure lingered on site for
about a week," he said. "Inconsistent cleaning of the onion dicer may
have been a contributing factor."
The outbreak was the largest of its kind in Ontario since 7 people
died and about 2500 others fell ill from water tainted with the same
strain in Walkerton, Ontario, in May 2000.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[ProMED reported on this outbreak while it was occurring in the fall
of 2008. No "smoking" onion, that is isolating the pathogen from the
product, was found so that the link is epidemiologic. A contaminated
onion slicer is a reasonable potential source; however, the source of
the contamination of the slicer is not known.
Maps of Ontario showing the location of North Bay can be found at
<http://www.eici.net/images/onmap.gif> and the HealthMap/ProMED-mail
interactive map at
<http://healthmap.org/promed?g=6089426&v=46.317,-79.466,5>. - Mod.LL]
[see also:
2008
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E. coli O157, restaurant - Canada (03): (ON) 20081023.3355
E. coli O157, restaurant - Canada (02): (ON) 20081019.3309
E. coli O157, restaurant - Canada: (ON) 20081016.3283
E. coli O157, university students - USA (06): California lettuce 20081015.3266
E. coli O157, university students - USA (05): Canada cases 20081006.3156
2007
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E. coli O157, ground beef - USA (multistate)(08): Canada 20071029.3511
E. coli O157, student picnic - Canada (ON) 20070713.2240
E. coli O157, ground beef - Canada: alert, recall 20070710.2196
E. coli O157, restaurant - Canada (ON) (04) 20070621.2002
E. coli O157, restaurant - Canada (ON) 20070606.1834
E. coli O157, ground beef - USA (west): recall 20070606.1831
2006
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E. coli O157, foodborne - Canada (AB) 20061130.3392
E. coli O157 - Canada (ON): susp. 20061006.2869
E. coli O157, spinach - Canada (ON) ex USA 20060926.2750
E. coli O157, spinach - USA (multistate): alert 20060915.2608
2005
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E. coli O157, ground beef - Canada (BC): recall 20050725.2151
E. coli O157, milkshakes - Canada (Alberta) (02) 20050510.1289
E. coli O157, milkshakes - Canada (Alberta) 20050510.1283
E. coli O157: H7, unpasteurized milk - Canada (ONT) 20050411.1047
2004
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E. coli O157, food associated - Canada (AB)(03) 20040924.2636
E. coli O157, food associated - Canada (AB) 20040920.2603
E. coli O157, pig roast - Canada (ON) 20040914.2564
E. coli O157, hockey camp - Canada (ON) (02) 20040820.2306
E. coli O157, ground beef - Canada (multiprovince): recall 20040808.2184
E. coli O157, hockey camp - Canada (ON) 20040728.2061
E. coli O157, ground beef - Canada (QC) 20040721.1981
2003
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E. coli O157 - Canada (Ontario) (02) 20030202.0290
E. coli O157 - Canada (Ontario) 20030128.0253
2002
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E. coli O157 - Canada (multiprovince) 20021109.5760
2000
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E. coli, EHEC - Canada (Ontario) (10) 20000917.1598
E. coli, EHEC - Canada (Ontario) 20000524.0817]
....................ll/ejp/dk
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