2023-11-12 17:41:49
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) issued an advisory on Saturday after identifying 40 cases of salmonellosis in the country, including 21 in Quebec.
In total, six provinces are affected by an outbreak of salmonella infections: Manitoba (1 case), Ontario (14 cases), Quebec (21 cases), New Brunswick (1 case), New -Scotland (2 cases) and Prince Edward Island.
According to PHAC, the cases were identified between July 2020 and September 2023. “Thirteen people were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The people who fell ill ranged in age from 0 to 91 years old. Just under half (43%) of cases are children aged 5 or younger. Around half of the cases (53%) are female,” the federal agency underlined.
Two sources could be responsible for this salmonellosis outbreak, according to health authorities. First, some cases could be due to exposure to raw foods prepared for pets. “Some of the sick people reported being exposed to raw pet food, or to dogs fed raw food, before the onset of their illness,” it said.
In other cases, the bacteria was contracted following contact with cattle, particularly calves, according to PHAC.
Remember that it is not recommended to feed your pet with raw meat, given the risks of contamination with salmonella or E. coli bacteria from infected food and animals.
Here are the symptoms of salmonellosis
– Fever
– Chills
– Nausea
– Vomiting
– Diarrhea
– Headache
– Abdominal cramps
Note that these symptoms can appear between 6 and 72 hours after exposure to salmonella and that they usually last 4 to 7 days.
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