One person dead, 63 confirmed cases in salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupe: PHAC

CITYnews halifax / By The Canadian Press

The Public Health Agency of Canada says one person has died after a salmonella outbreak linked to Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes.

An update from the agency posted on Friday offered no details on the person who died, but says there have been 63 confirmed salmonella cases linked to the outbreak and seventeen people hospitalized.

The agency issued food recall warnings three times in November for Malichita cantaloupes sold between Oct. 11 and Nov. 14.

On Nov. 24, it updated its warning to include Rudy brand cantaloupes sold between Oct. 10 and Nov. 24.

The cantaloupes were distributed across the country, and the agency says confirmed salmonella cases have been identified in five provinces so far: Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island. .

It says it’s investigating other potential cases and notes the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also probing a salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupes they describe as being the same genetic strain as the one in Canada. U.S. health officials said two people had died and 45 people were hospitalized nationwide due to the outbreak as of Friday

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2023.