There are now 24 cases of E. coli across Canada connected to contaminated cheese products from Gort’s Gouda Cheese Farm in Salmon Arm.
The Public Health Agency of Canada, along with its health and food safety partners, is looking into 11 cases in British Columbia, 10 in Alberta and one each in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec.
All people involved became ill between mid-July and mid-September.
Get daily National news
Cory Vanderlinde, an 82-year-old Vernon woman, died August 23 from E. coli after eating cheese from Gort’s Gouda.
The owners of the cheese farm have issued an apology.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a Health Hazard Alert warning the public not to consume the affected product.
The agency says “there is currently no indication of widespread risk to Canadians. However, E. coli O157:H7 can pose a serious public health risk. Additional cases of illness may be identified and linked to this outbreak in the future.”
For more information on the safe consumption of unpasteurized cheese products, please visit the Healthy Canadians website.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.