EDMONTON — The Public Health Agency of Canada said a Salmonella outbreak involving four provinces has now made 41 people sick.
As of Wednesday, there were 41 cases of human illness: 22 in Alberta, 14 in B.C., four in Saskatchewan and one in Manitoba.
The agency said seven people have been hospitalized, but everyone has either recovered or is recovering.
The patients got sick between April 5 and May 23, said officials. They all reported having contact with live baby poultry, including chicks, turkey poults and goslings. Many people reported buying live birds by mail or from feed supply store fronts for backyard flocks to produce eggs or meat.
Investigators have determined the birds were ordered from Miller Hatcheries and Rochester Hatchery catalogues. Both companies ship birds supplied by the same hatchery in Alberta.
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry is investigating and working closely with the hatchery to determine the source of the infected live baby poultry. The hatchery has sent information letters about this outbreak directly to affected customers who have placed orders for live baby poultry that were hatched between March 1 and May 5, 2015.
READ MORE: Salmonella outbreak linked to Alberta chicks
On May 26, the agency said it was investigating the outbreak in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. At that time, it said 34 people had reported getting sick: 17 in Alberta, 13 in B.C. and four in Saskatchewan.
Symptoms of salmonella include fever, chills, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, nausea and vomiting.
With files from The Canadian Press
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