By Laura Lira
If you live in Western Canada, and are having cramps, fever or a headache, watch out: those are some of the symptoms of a Salmonella infection. The outbreak is affecting people in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. One person in Quebec has also been diagnosed with Salmonella, but officials say they contracted it during a trip to BC. According to Public Health Canada, long English cucumber is the likely source of the problem. So far there are no reported cases in Ontario.
There are 55 confirmed cases of Salmonella contamination so far, but officials say this number might increase. It can take up to six weeks for people to report their illness to public health officials. The symptoms usually start to appear between six and 72 hours after being in contact with Salmonella. They include diarrhea, vomiting, chills, cramps, fever, headache and nausea.
Public Heath Canada has also said that the most vulnerable groups are children and seniors, because they’re fragile and a Salmonella infection could turn into a serious illness. Healthy adults affected tend to fully recover after a few days, or might not even get sick, but can still contaminate others.
If you have any questions, or are showing the symptoms linked to Salmonella infection, you can call Public Health Canada’s toll-free number 1-866-225-0709 or e-mail them at info@hc-sc.gc.ca.
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