How to know if you have salmonella as death toll rises from cantaloupe outbreak
salmonella outbreak traced back to cantaloupes has claimed the lives of at least five people and infected over 100 people across Canada, prompting a warning from experts to remain vigilant, look for signs of the infection, and consider temporarily avoiding melons.Salmonella, a bacterial infection commonly transmitted through contaminated food and water, poses a significant health threat, especially to children and older adults, as it can lead to severe gastrointestinal symptoms, dehydration, and, in extreme cases, death.“Salmonella is one of the most prolific pathogens we know,” said Keith Warriner, a food safety professor from the University of Guelph. “The reason why it’s so successful is that it can survive any environment.
It can be passed from person to person and passed into foods.”In October and November, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued several recalls of fruit due to salmonella risks. The majority of these recalls involved various brands of cantaloupe, including pre-cut chunks and whole melons.The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said Thursday that, based on the investigation findings to date, consumption of Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes has been identified as the likely source of the outbreak.
The outbreak has also spread across six provinces: British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.As CFIA continues its investigation, it warned more recalls may be on the horizon.What makes this bacteria so dangerous is its ability to enter the intestines, and then the bloodstream, causing extreme dehydration and even sepsis, Warriner warned. It can then internalize with the lymphatic system and gastrointestinal tract to reach other
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