E. coli in two cities likely linked: But Hamilton, Sudbury food sources unknown

07.oct.06
National Post/CanWestNews Service/ Globe and Mail/CBC 

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Ontario health ministry are trying to determine the source of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has left more than 30 people sick, including five who required hospitalization, in two different Ontario cities.
Health officials believe there is a link between the reports of illnesses that have streamed in from Sudbury, Ont., and Hamilton. But they have not been able to determine what food caused the outbreak.
While officials believe the bacteria likely came from fresh produce _ most likely lettuce -- the food inspection agency said there's little hope it will be able to determine the source of the outbreak.
CFIA spokesman Marc Richard was quoted as saying, "The food link has not been demonstrated yet by tests. Should there be a food link demonstrated, then we can recall (the product), but given this is a fresh product, that is less likely because it was all eaten or thrown away weeks ago."
Health officials are also trying to figure out how two communities located in different parts of the province were affected by the same bacteria outbreak, and why no other community seems to have experienced similar problems.
Bob Hart, environmental health manager at Hamilton Public Health Services, was quoted as saying, "Right now we just don't know. The part that made everyone really want to take a look at this is the fact you have these two outbreaks of E. coli, that really aren't that common to happen, occurring in the same time of the month."
Officials in Hamilton are investigating 20 cases of E. coli, of which 11 have been confirmed. All of the cases are confined to Hillfield Strathallan College, a private-run school. Officials first learned of the outbreak on Sept. 26, he said.
In Sudbury, health officials are investigating 14 cases. Four people in that city had to be hospitalized after eating food that had been contaminated with E. coli bacteria. Most of the people affected are believed to have eaten contaminated food at a local restaurant. The health unit declined to name the establishment, but health officials have visited there since the outbreak was first reported on Sept. 26.
Since there have been no new cases reported in recent days, health officials said the outbreak is likely isolated to the two cities and seems to have passed.
Douglas Powell, scientific director of the Food Safety Network at Kansas State University, was quoted as saying, "What it tells us the first line of defence is on the farm. It's got to be prevented," and that it should send a strong message to the industry that they must do some serious work to prevent future outbreaks from occurring. "t's incumbent upon the industry to get a hold of the problem and fix things." 
Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Sudbury's medical officer of health was cited as saying that while laboratory analysis of the bacteria indicates a common source in both Sudbury and Hamilton, it's difficult to be definitive because the food is no longer available for testing, adding, "Will we ever know the food source for sure? Likely not, because these investigations are always retrospective." 
Ben Chapman of the Food Safety Network at the University of Guelph was quoted as telling CBC that, "t means that the E. coli O157:H7 is coming from the same source, and whether that's in processing, back to the farm, in distribution, that's important. It makes these two outbreaks one large outbreak"