Train all food handlers-doctor
E. coli outbreak hasn't peaked yet

Posted By MARIA CALABRESE, THE NUGGET
October 17, 2008

Health units in Ontario must offer training programs about how to safely handle
food, but workers in the restaurant industry don't have to accept. 

I think it should be something that's required for people to have the basic
training," Dr. Catherine Whiting, medical officer of health for the North Bay Parry
Sound District Health Unit, said following a news conference Thursday about an E.
coli outbreak linked to a Harvey's restaurant in North Bay. 

I think that has been something that has been put forward as one way of at least
assisting with proper food handling is to make it a requirement for people who
deliver food service," she said. 

Undercooking meats, not washing hands or cross contaminating foods are just some
ways E. coli bacteria can spread. 

It's mandatory for Harvey's employees to take food safety training, the company
confirmed. 

The staff at Harvey's restaurant continues to be very co-operative in working with
us during this investigation," Whiting said. 

Food samples collected from the Algonquin Avenue restaurant have been sent to a
Toronto lab for testing in hopes of pinpointing the cause of the contamination.
Those results are expected next week. 

Lab results might determine if the food-borne illness is the result of the products
sold at the Harvey's location, how they were handled or by some other means. 

The number of cases involved in the outbreak has jumped to 93 from 52 Wednesday,
including 15 laboratory-confirmed cases. The health unit expects that to peak today
or Saturday. 

None of these cases involve restaurant staff, Whiting said. 

The health unit is also awaiting results of samples sent to the Public Health Agency
of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. Those results might show
if E. coli O157:H7 involved with the North Bay outbreak is the same sub-strain
involved in the water crisis in Walkerton that killed seven people and sickened
2,500 others.

We know that from the Walkerton outbreak that there were people who had long-term
health effects from the infection. Based on research, a certain percentage who get
infected do get the difficult hemolytic uremic syndrome and kidney failure," Whiting
said. 

I think we'll just have to wait and see what develops during this particular
situation." 

The health unit asked the city to test the water as a precaution, and those tests
came back negative. 

Health units in Sudbury, Timmins, Timiskaming and one in southern Ontario, are also
investigating E. coli illnesses linked to the Harvey's in North Bay. One case has
been confirmed in Sudbury. 

The people who are ill range in age from five to 84 years old. Some remain in
hospital, while most have been recovering at home. 

Seventy-five cases are people who were at Harvey's dating back to Sept. 28 -- the
earliest the contamination might have occurred -- while others caught the infection
by someone who was already sick. 

A Public Health Agency of Canada field epidemiologist from Saskatchewan arrived in
North Bay Thursday to help analyse information gathered during the investigation.
She is so far scheduled to remain on the scene until the beginning of November. 

The health unit was notified Saturday when five people sought medical attention
after showing symptoms. The medical officer of health ordered the restaurant closed
Sunday at 9 p. m. as a precaution. It released a public notice that night
identifying a possible food-borne E. coli outbreak, and identified Harvey's Tuesday
morning after gathering more information that linked the restaurant to the
illnesses. 

It takes 24 hours to 10 days for people to show symptoms after they've been
infected, although the average incubation time in this outbreak has been three to
four days. 

The health unit said an analysis of what people ate at the restaurant has show some
patterns, although the medical officer of health is not commenting until lab results
are known. 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ontario's Ministry of Health and the Ontario
Agency for Health Protection and Promotion are also involved with the investigation.


It's up to the various health agencies to determine when the restaurant might be
allowed to reopen. 

The adjoining Swiss Chalet restaurant is also closed, but it is not linked to the
outbreak.