The Public Health Agency has warned the Canadians to throw away the red onions coming from the US due to the risk of Salmonella.
The red onions are likely linked to the outbreak of Salmonella and have already affected 114 people from Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, P.E.I, and B.C.
Moreover, nearly 400 people in 34 states of the US have fallen ill from Salmonella, a disease linked to red onions.
The initial cases were reported on July 10 which affected people from three states. Since then, the number has increased to 34. As on today, 59 people have been hospitalized due to Salmonella.
What is Salmonella?
Salmonella is basically a bacterium that causes illnesses like diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, headache, nausea and vomiting from 6 hours to 6 days after exposure. The symptoms usually last for 4 to 7 days depending on the severity.
Most of the patients recover from it without treatment but antibodies may be required in some critical cases. Children aged below five years, pregnant women, vulnerable people and people with less immunity can contract this disease faster.
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is advising its citizens in B.C, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba to throw away the red onions that came from the US and also the food products that are made from these red onions.
PHAC is also asking the restaurants in the country to follow the same and asked them to stop using red onions.
It said that if people find a sticker on the onion or a label on the bag and if people are not clear they were imported from the US or not, they must not buy them at all. PHAC has also urged Canadians to clean their fridges and its drawers where the onions are kept at their houses.
According to a press release, 6 people have already been hospitalized in Canada due to the Salmonella outbreak. The agency predicts that many such cases will be reported in the coming days as it takes time for the illness to be reported to the health authorities.
Similar illnesses have been reported in the US too and both Canada and the US are working together to determine the cause of the outbreak in both the countries.
Though the Salmonella outbreak is related to red onions, the CDC and other health authorities are recommending people to avoid white, yellow and sweet onions. However, no specific source of contamination or contaminated shipment has been reported as on today.
By Gayatri Yellayi
