A salmonella outbreak linked to contaminated salami has sickened 87 people across six provinces, with nine requiring hospitalization.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency expanded its recall Friday to include British Columbia and Saskatchewan, adding to previous warnings for Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. The Public Health Agency of Canada updated the case count to 87 on Saturday, up from 72 reported earlier in the week.
More than 65 products have been recalled since June 10, including brands such as Rea, Bona, Cosmo's Smoked Meats, Imperial Meats, Naturissimo and Superior Meats. The contaminated products were sold in grocery stores, specialty markets, restaurants, cafes, delis and butcher shops.
Alberta has reported the most cases with 57 infections, followed by Ontario with 14 and Manitoba with one. Case numbers for Quebec, B.C. and Saskatchewan were not immediately available.
Most people fell ill between mid-April and mid-June after eating salami in prepared sandwiches or purchased from deli counters, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
High-risk groups face severe complications
Salmonella bacteria can cause severe and potentially deadly infections, particularly among children, pregnant people, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals typically experience short-term symptoms including fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, cramps and diarrhea.
The CFIA urges consumers to check for these product codes: 5035 226, 5049 226, 5020 228, 5035 228 and 5035 226. A complete list of recalled products and package codes is available on the CFIA website.
The bacteria can spread several days or weeks after infection, even in people showing no symptoms. Health officials recommend anyone who purchased the affected products to discard them immediately or return them to the place of purchase.
Consumers can subscribe to CFIA updates for information on recalled products.
