More people ill from Salmonella, ate onions from U.S.: Public Health Agency

The Public Health Agency of Canada says 100 more people have become ill from Salmonella contamination linked to a recall of U.S.-grown onions, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 339.

The agency says no deaths have been reported but 48 people have been hospitalized.

It says people who became ill range in age from three to 100 and ate red onions at home, at restaurants and in residential care settings.

As of Friday, the breakdown of confirmed cases includes 78 people in B.C., 208 in Alberta, 19 in Saskatchewan, 19 in Manitoba, eight in Ontario, six in Quebec and one and Prince Edward Island.

The agency says people should not eat, use, sell or serve any red, white, yellow, and sweet yellow onions from Thomson International Inc. of Bakersfield, Calif., or any products made with these onions.

It says there is no evidence to suggest that onions grown in Canada are associated with the outbreak.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it is conducting a food safety investigation and has issued food recall warnings for the brand of raw imported onions and some food products that contain these onions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2020

The Canadian Press