Salami salmonella outbreak: 2 more hospitalized, dozen new illnesses reported

Health officials said a salmonella outbreak linked to pork deli meats sold at grocery stores and in prepared sandwiches has expanded.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said 84 people have gotten sick since April, and there have now been nine hospitalizations.

That’s about a dozen more illnesses and two more hospitalizations since the agency’s last report in late June.

PHAC said the infections are linked to Rea brand Genoa Salami Sweet, Rea brand Genoa Salami Hot and Bona brand Mild Genova Salami.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled the products in Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba on June 10.

While most of the illnesses reported are in Alberta with 67 people sickened, the outbreak also affects Ontario, where 15 people have been ill, as well as Manitoba with one person sick. One illness reported in B.C. is related to travel to Alberta.

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Salami-related salmonella outbreak sickens 72 people

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Salmonella is a food-borne bacterial illness that can spread several days or weeks after a person is infected, even if they don’t have symptoms.

It can result in severe and potentially deadly infections, particularly for children, pregnant people, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

April Hexemer, the federal agency’s director of outbreak management, said there is a reporting delay between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported to public health officials.

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“That process can take a varying amount of time depending on the province where people are. So overall, the incubation period, plus all the lab confirmation testing is taking anywhere from 11 to 45 days in this outbreak investigation,” Hexemer said in an interview Friday.

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The sickness can last up to a week, but Hexemer said she has noticed in this case that some people have been ill for up to 10 days.

Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, cramps and diarrhea.

Hexemer said there have been some secondary salmonella transmissions from person-to-person, but for the most part it appears to have sickened people who ate the contaminated product.

She said there’s an opportunity for cross contamination at deli and prepared sandwiches counters.

“In settings where there’s a slicer being used or anything to cut a product, and one product is cut that’s contaminated, there’s an opportunity that that contamination can pass on to the next product,” Hexemer said.

She also noted every jurisdiction has procedures and guidelines on how machines need to be cleaned and sterilized, and grocers should be following those rules.

The notice recommends checking for the following product codes: 5035 226, 5049 226, 5020 228, 5035 228 and 5035 226.

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