Ontario E. coli outbreak likely caused by Spanish onions: 235 sickened
In a refreshing change for Canadian public health, a report has actually been issued regarding an outbreak of foodborne illness – specifically the 235 people who got sick dining at a Harvery’s restaurant at a major thoroughfare in North Bay, Ontario, last fall, four hours north of Toronto.
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Apparently it was the Spanish onions.
The North Bay and District Health Unit also criticized the inconsistent cleaning practice of the onion dicer (below, left, exactly as shown).
The full report is available at http://www.healthunit.biz/docs/Ecoli%20Outbreak/2008%20NBPSDHU%20Ecoli%20Report_June%202009_Formatted.pdf
Some questions: where did the onions come from? Health types say they don’t know. How could a Harvey’s not know where its onions were coming from? Or at least provide a list of options? There were also outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 in southern Ontario at the same time. Same onions?
Ontario E. coli victim needs help
Canada has the best healthcare system in the world.
At least that’s what Canadians are taught to believe. Never underestimate the persuasive power of wanting to believe.
The family of a seven-year-old boy who suffered complications from the North Bay, Ontario, E. coli outbreak which has sickened 249, needs help as they remain with their young son in a Toronto hospital.
Sylvie MacDonald, Carter’s mother, said,
“This is a nightmare. And asking for help is definitely one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. We don’t like to do this, but I don’t know how long this could last. It could last forever.”
The child from Mattawa was airlifted to Toronto after he was brought into the North Bay and District Hospital Oct. 24.
Over 200 sick with E. coli from Harvey's; one child 'very ill' in hospital
The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to a North Bay, Ontario, Harvey’s burger joint, is going from bad to worse.
The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit said today there are now a total of 207 cases, of which 39 are lab confirmed for E. coli O157:H7.
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“Although we can reveal few details to avoid identifying anyone, there is one child who is very ill and in hospital,” said Dr. Catherine Whiting, Medical Officer of Health. “This person meets the criteria for complications from an E. coli infection, specifically Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome or HUS.”
The restaurant has been closed since Oct. 12. That’s more than enough time for DNA fingerprinting and to see if there are any matches with rather numerous E. coli outbreaks going on throughout North America. The CBC reports food samples have tested negative for the E. coli strain, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's investigation has turned to testing food handlers. After only 11 days? Wow. If this was an animal disease, CFIA would be all over it. But, it’s just people.
Someone says they're sorry; Harvey's president apologizes
Harvey's Canada president Rick McNabb said Tuesday at a North Bay, Ontario, hotel that he’s sorry for the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has now stricken 190 people, of which 36 are laboratory confirmed.
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". . . On behalf of our company, I just want to say how sorry we are that something happened here, despite the fact that we don't know what it is, but it's clear we were associated with it."
McNabb said the local franchise operator, Cindy Gibb, is distraught and this is overwhelming for her.
I speak to her daily," he said. She's hurt, sorry and scared. The best-case scenario for everyone is to find the source."
North Bay E. coli outbreak - see it all on youtube
The use of video is changing public perceptions of foodborne illness outbreaks. At least that’s what we hypothesized after the 2006 E. coli in spinach outbreak. But check it out for yourself. Next time, get the head of CFIA or FDA on camera, explaining the basis for going public.
As of Monday, Oct. 20, 2008, there were a total of 141 cases, of which 28 are lab confirmed for E. coli O157:H7, which includes cases being investigated by six other health units in Ontario. The case numbers are down because further information has shown that 18 people are not part of this outbreak.
Does that mean there were 18 people who were sick that were part of another outbreak?
At this time, all of the 141 cases are linked to one location - the Harvey’s Restaurant in North Bay.
'Razors in my stomach' The human face of Harvey's E. coli outbreak
Steve Carleton dubbed himself "Number 6" because when he was overcome with fierce stomach cramps last week and admitted to a northern Ontario hospital, health-care workers started numbering the beds.
While he jokes now that he "beat the rush," the 22-year-old North Bay police constable turns serious when recalling his bout with E. coli during an outbreak that, as of Sunday, may have sickened upwards of 159 people, mostly in his home town.
"It was like I had razor blades rolling around in my stomach, it was so excruciating," Carleton said.
"The pains were enough (that) you couldn't stay in bed or sit down, because you'd sit down and it'd hit you again and you'd be up and it'd give you that urge and you'd have to run to the washroom again."
Carleton spent four, IV-drip-fuelled days recovering in hospital. He said he had earlier eaten a bacon cheeseburger at one of the busiest Harvey's restaurants in the area.
"I consider myself pretty fit, and a healthy all around person," said Carleton, who exercises several times a week. "I couldn't imagine an elderly person, or even a young child, being able to fight their way through it."
Despite E. coli cases, Oklahoma restaurant kept serving customers; not so in North Bay
A Harvey’s restaurant in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, remains closed as the number of confirmed and suspected sick with E. coli O157:H7 climbed to 159 today.
The public health folks in North Bay must be going nuts, but they, along with the operators of Harvey’s, have put public health first and closed the restaurant until more is known.
Locust Grove, Oklahoma, was also hammered by an E. coli outbreak, E. coli O111, linked to dining at the Country Cottage restaurant in August.. One person died, 72 were hospitalized and 241 others got sick before the outbreak was contained.
Today it was revealed that State Health Department officials allowed the Country Cottage to stay open temporarily — even after confirming six of eight initial food poisoning victims had eaten its food, internal documents show. That decision may have resulted in additional people getting sick.
Health Department officials admitted last week there is no set threshold in such cases for closing a restaurant suspected of being the source of an outbreak.
There are no guidelines. Epidemiological investigations are full of uncertainty. So is most of what is known about foodborne illness. But after the Salmonella-in-tomatoes-jalapenos outbreak this summer, public health officials are seemingly reluctant to go public. Industry has attempted to take matters into their own hands – which they should have been doing anyway – and is increasingly challenging public health investigations with its own test results, and unfortunately overstating the value of their own tests.
Listeria in Maple Leaf deli meats, Salmonella in produce, E. coli in Ontario and Oklahoma. There are no guidelines on when to go public. Federal agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency must come clean with the public and industry and articulate the basis for public notification, or even restaurant closures, during outbreaks of foodborne illness. Until then local health units are left cleaning up the mess.
146 stricken with E. coli from Harvey's in Canada
The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit is now reporting a total of 146 cases of which 24 are lab confirmed for E. coli O157:H7, linked to dining at a Harvey’s Restaurant on Algonquin Avenue in North Bay, Ontario.
Included are cases being investigated by 6 other health units in Ontario, and the people who are ill range from 1 to 90 years old. Some are in hospital receiving treatment, while most are recovering at home.
“The Health Unit is screening staff at the restaurant located in North Bay. This includes collecting samples and conducting interviews,” reports Dr. Catherine Whiting, Medical Officer of Health for the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit. Health Unit staff continue to collect information and analyze data to ensure that all possible sources of E. coli O157:H7 are being investigated. City of North Bay emergency crews also conducted extra testing on the municipal water last weekend. Lab test results confirm that drinking water is not the source.
131 sick from E. coli linked to Harvey's in North Bay, Canada
The North Bay Parry Sound District health unit reports there are now a total of 131 cases of which 22 are lab confirmed for E coli O157:H7, and 22 people are still under investigation.
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The investigation is localized to Harvey’s Restaurant on Algonquin Avenue in North Bay. Included are cases being investigated by 4 other health units.
The people who are ill range from 1 to 84 years old. Symptoms of illness from E. coli O157:H7 include diarrhea which may be bloody, stomach cramps, and/or vomiting and possibly a fever. Anyone suffering with these symptoms is advised to seek medical attention.
Dr. Catherine Whiting, Medical Officer of Health, stresses “that people who are ill with E. coli must take precautions to prevent the spread of the bacteria to other people. Thorough hand washing, using soap and hot running water, particularly after toileting, before any food contact, or changing diapers is a must.”
As I told the Toronto Globe and Mail, the source could have been contaminated meat coupled with a failure in cooking, fresh produce such as lettuce used in burgers and salads, or an employee.
“Just because it's a Harvey's, you can't assume it's the hamburger,” said Doug Powell, associate professor of food safety at Kansas State University. “It could be a fresh product, something that's not cooked and it could be distributed to other places.”
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It's important for health officials to figure out the source of the problem quickly so they can reduce the risk to others if necessary, he said.
However, for 131 to be sick from a restaurant that company president Rick McNabb said serves at least 300 meals daily suggests a fairly massive level of contamination.
There’s a lot of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks right now. I’m sure public health types are looking for DNA fingerprint matches and will publicize results as soon as they are available.
Harvey's restaurant in North Bay, Ontario, focus of E. coli outbreak
The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit in Ontario, Canada, is investigating a number of possible food sources related to seven laboratory confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 and an additional 20 illnesses.
Dr. Catherine Whiting, Medical Officer of Health, North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, said that many cases were traced back to Harvey’s restaurant located at 1899 Algonquin Avenue in North Bay, adding,
“To protect the health of the public, and based on initial analysis, I ordered the closure of the Harvey’s restaurant on Algonquin on Sunday evening at 9 pm as a precautionary measure. At that time, our health inspectors conducted a thorough inspection of the premises and collected food samples for testing. Until we receive the lab results, we cannot confirm the source of the E. coli contamination. At this point in the investigation, it appears to have been limited to this North Bay location.”
The Health Unit continues to investigate all possible food sources and Harvey’s is cooperating fully with the investigation.
Harvey’s President Rick McNabb said,
“The health and safety of our guests is our most important priority. We are cooperating fully with the Health Unit to determine the cause, and we take this matter very seriously.”
For more information, visit the Health Unit’s web site at www.healthunit.biz or call (705) 474-1400, or 1-800-563-3808.
