TORONTO, Aug 24, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Canadian authorities have confirmed a
bacterial outbreak that claimed four lives has been traced to a Toronto
meat-processing facility.
Maple Leaf Foods has expanded a nationwide product recall after the listeriosis
outbreak was linked to its plant, Canwest News Service reported Saturday.
The expanded recall will include all sliced deli meat and other products from
the Toronto facility "as a precautionary measure," the company said.
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and public health officials announced Saturday
night that genetic testing results from three samples of the recalled products
show at least two tested positive for the outbreak strain of listeria. The
results are "highly significant" and show the investigation is "on the right
path," the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement.
The number of confirmed listeriosis cases has been upped to 21 in four
provinces. Sixteen of the cases have been found in Ontario, three in British
Columbia, and one each in Saskatchewan and Quebec.
Three deaths in Ontario have been officially tied to the food-borne listeria
bacterium, along with a fourth death on Vancouver Island. The number of
confirmed and suspected cases are expected to increase over the next several
weeks.
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Copyright 2008 by United Press International