Drug-resistant salmonella outbreak spreads across Canada, affecting many kids – National | 24CA News
An ongoing outbreak of “extensively drug-resistant” salmonella infections has unfold throughout six provinces, affecting many youngsters aged 5 and below, prompting a public well being discover.
On Saturday, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) issued a public well being discover saying it, together with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada, launched an investigation into the salmonella outbreak, revealing uncooked pet meals and cattle contact as probably culprits.
“Many of the individuals who became sick are children five years of age or younger. Illnesses associated with this outbreak strain may be difficult to treat with commonly recommended antibiotics, if antibiotic treatment is needed,” PHAC mentioned in an announcement.
The outbreak continues to be ongoing, as diseases proceed to be reported to PHAC.
After investigating the outbreak, PHAC mentioned two sources had been recognized.
The first supply was linked to publicity to uncooked meat ready for pets. PHAC mentioned among the people who grew to become sick reported publicity to uncooked pet meals earlier than the sickness occurred. But a single provider of uncooked pet meals has not been recognized.
Contact with cattle, notably calves, was linked because the second supply of the outbreak.
“The outbreak is a reminder that salmonella bacteria can be found in raw pet food and in many species of animals, including dogs and cattle,” PHAC warned. “Always use safe food handling practices when preparing, cooking, or storing raw pet food to prevent illness. Practice good hand hygiene and frequent handwashing after contact with dogs fed raw pet food, cattle, and their environments.”
PHAC’s investigation additionally discovered this outbreak pressure of salmonella has been present in sick canines and cattle, and a few of these animals have died. It warned that contaminated pets may also unfold micro organism, like salmonella, to people they’re involved with, even when they don’t present any indicators of sickness.
There have been 40 confirmed instances of the salmonella pressure as of Nov. 11, PHAC mentioned.
Illnesses have been reported in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Between July 2020 and September 2023, the reported people fell sick, leading to 13 hospitalizations, with no reported deaths, PHAC mentioned. The affected inhabitants spans from infants to 91-year-olds, with practically half (43 per cent) of the instances involving youngsters aged 5 or youthful. Females comprise roughly half (53 per cent) of the reported instances.
The salmonella pressure linked with the outbreak is “extensively drug-resistant,” PHAC mentioned, which means it’s immune to all generally really helpful antibiotics.
“Illnesses resulting from this outbreak strain may be difficult to treat with commonly recommended antibiotics if antibiotic treatment is considered necessary,” it mentioned.
Symptoms of salmonella sometimes begin six to 72 hours after publicity to the micro organism and may final 4 to seven days. Symptoms embrace fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and stomach cramps, in response to PHAC.
“People who are infected with salmonella bacteria can spread salmonella to other people several days to several weeks after they have become infected, even if they don’t have symptoms,” PHAC mentioned.
“Salmonella can spread by person-to-person contact and contaminated surfaces. Most people who become ill from a Salmonella infection will recover fully after a few days without treatment, but it can also cause severe illness and hospitalization.”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
