CANADA seeks E. coli link

27.nov.08
The Salinas Californian
Dawn Withers

The California Department of Public Health says it's investigating whether a Salinas
Valley farm is the source of an E. coli outbreak in Canada.
Since October, 30 cases of E. coli O157:H7 infection have been confirmed in Ontario.
Canadian health officials don't know the source or cause of the contamination,
according to the Ontario Ministry of Health.
Ken August, a spokesman for the state's Health Department, confirmed that state
investigators are examining a Monterey County farm after receiving information from
Canadian health officials.
August said that officials are considering California lettuce as a possible source
in the outbreak and that investigators have been at the farm for more than a week.
He declined to comment further on the investigation.
Andrew Morrison, a spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of Health, said that although
there is no conclusive link between lettuce and the outbreak, the vegetable was a
common food item among those sickened at several Canadian restaurants, a cafeteria
and university.
"The lettuce was the most prominent," Morrison said.
No food items tested came back positive for E. coli, he said.
Morrison said he couldn't comment on potential sources for the lettuce because the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency, along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,
is investigating that.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Health, another 123 illnesses may be linked to
the outbreak but have not been confirmed. Illnesses have been reported in the
Canadian cities of Niagara, Guelph, Halton, Waterloo and Hamilton.
There have been no deaths from the outbreak, Morrison said.
Jim Bogart, president of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, said
he hasn't heard of the local probe and doesn't have any information about possible
farms involved.
In a separate E. coli outbreak in August that sickened 38 Michigan residents,
iceberg lettuce is considered a possible source.
August declined to comment on the status of that investigation.