E. coli scare now appears to be over, agency says

The Public Health Agency of Canada says a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce appears to be over.

The agency says as of Wednesday there have been 42 cases of E. coli illness reported in five provinces — eight in Ontario, 15 in Quebec, five in New Brunswick, one in Nova Scotia and 13 in Newfoundland and Labrador. Seventeen people were hospitalized and one person died.

It says there have been no reports on the onset of illness since Dec. 12.

Based on the investigation findings to date, the agency says exposure to romaine lettuce has been identified as the source of the outbreak, but the cause of contamination has not been determined.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it has completed its food safety investigation and all samples tested were negative for E. coli.

The Public Health Agency is still advising Canadians to always follow safe food handling tips for preparing lettuce, but says it’s no longer advising consumers in the affected provinces to consider types of lettuce other than romaine.

E. coli are bacteria that live naturally in the intestines of cattle, poultry and other animals.

Acommon source of E. coli illness is raw fruits and vegetables that come in contact with feces from infected animals. They can become contaminated in the field by soil, water or improperly composted manure.