Public Health Notice — Outbreak of Salmonella illnesses linked to raw turkey and raw chicken

The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with provincial and territorial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella infections.
Based on the investigation findings to date, exposure to raw turkey and raw chicken products has been identified as the likely source of the outbreak. Many of the individuals who became sick reported eating different types of turkey and chicken products before their illnesses occurred.

The outbreak appears to be ongoing, as recent illnesses continue to be reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Salmonella bacteria are commonly found in raw or undercooked poultry like turkey or chicken. The bacteria are most-often transmitted to people when they improperly handle, eat or cook contaminated foods.

This outbreak is a reminder of the importance of using safe food handling practices if you are preparing, cooking, cleaning or storing raw turkey and raw chicken products. These raw products can have bacteria that can easily be spread around food preparation areas and can make you sick if safe food-handling practices are not properly followed.

Canadians across the country are reminded to always handle raw turkey and raw chicken carefully, and to cook it thoroughly to prevent food-related illnesses like Salmonella. The Public Health Agency of Canada is not advising that consumers avoid eating properly cooked turkey or chicken products, nor is it advising retailers to stop selling raw turkey and raw chicken products.

This public health notice update is being issued to inform Canadians of the investigation findings to date and to share important safe food-handling practices to help prevent further Salmonella infections. This notice will be updated as the investigation evolves.

Investigation summary

As of December 18, 2019, there have been 126 confirmed cases of Salmonella Reading illness investigated in the following provinces and territories: British Columbia (31), Alberta (44), Saskatchewan (8), Manitoba (24), Ontario (8), Quebec (2), New Brunswick (1), Prince Edward Island (1), Northwest Territories (1), and Nunavut (6). Individuals became sick between April 2017 and November 2019. Thirty-eight individuals have been hospitalized. One individual has died. Individuals who became ill are between 0 and 96 years of age. The majority of cases (52%) are male.

The collaborative outbreak investigation was initiated due to an increase of Salmonella Reading illnesses that occurred in October and November 2018. Cases have continued to be reported since the investigation was initiated. Through the use of a laboratory method called whole genome sequencing, some Salmonella illnesses dating back to 2017 were identified to have the same genetic strain as the illnesses that occurred in late 2018. The majority of illnesses under investigation occurred between October 2018 and November 2019.

It is possible that more recent illnesses may be reported in the outbreak because there is a period of time between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported to public health officials. For this outbreak, the illness reporting period is usually between 5 and 6 weeks.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) previously investigated similar Salmonella illnesses in several states that were linked to raw turkey exposure. There were some turkey products recalled in the U.S. that were associated with that outbreak. These products were not imported or distributed in the Canadian marketplace. The U.S. investigation was closed in April 2019.

This update reflects 14 illnesses that have been added to the outbreak investigation. There are now 110 illnesses under investigation. The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to remind Canadians to always handle raw turkey and raw chicken carefully, and to cook it thoroughly to prevent food-related illnesses like Salmonella. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has not issued any food recall warnings related to this outbreak.

Investigation summary

As of October 1, 2019, there have been 110 confirmed cases of Salmonella Reading illness investigated in the following provinces and territories: British Columbia (26), Alberta (36), Saskatchewan (8), Manitoba (24), Ontario (7), Quebec (1), New Brunswick (1), Northwest Territories (1), and Nunavut (6). Individuals became sick between April 2017 and August 2019. Thirty-two individuals have been hospitalized. One individual has died. Individuals who became ill are between 0 and 96 years of age. The illnesses are equally distributed among males (50%) and females (50%).

The collaborative outbreak investigation was initiated due to an increase of Salmonella Reading illnesses that occurred in October and November 2018. Cases have continued to be reported since the investigation was initiated. Through the use of a laboratory method called whole genome sequencing, some Salmonella illnesses dating back to 2017 were identified to have the same genetic strain as the illnesses that occurred in late 2018. More than half of the illnesses under investigation occurred between October 2018 and August 2019.

It is possible that more recent illnesses may be reported in the outbreak because there is a period of time between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported to public health officials. This period of time is called the case reporting delay. In national Salmonella outbreak investigations, the case reporting delay is usually between 5 and 6 weeks.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) previously investigated similar Salmonella illnesses in several states that were linked to raw turkey exposure. There were some turkey products recalled in the U.S. that were associated with that outbreak. These products were not imported or distributed in the Canadian marketplace. The U.S. investigation was closed in April 2019.

This update reflects 24 illnesses that have been added to the outbreak investigation. In Canada, there are now 96 illnesses under investigation. The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to remind Canadians to always handle raw turkey and raw chicken carefully, and to cook it thoroughly to prevent food-related illnesses like Salmonella.

Investigation summary

As of July 30, 2019, there have been 96 confirmed cases of Salmonella Reading illness investigated in the following provinces and territories: British Columbia (23), Alberta (31), Saskatchewan (8), Manitoba (21), Ontario (9), New Brunswick (1), Northwest Territories (1), and Nunavut (2). Individuals became sick between April 2017 and early July 2019. Twenty-eight individuals have been hospitalized. One individual has died. Individuals who became ill are between 0 and 96 years of age. The illnesses are equally distributed among male (50%) and female (50%).

The collaborative outbreak investigation was initiated due to an increase of Salmonella Reading illnesses that occurred in October and November 2018. Cases have continued to be reported since the investigation was initiated. Through the use of a laboratory method called whole genome sequencing, some Salmonella illnesses dating back to 2017 were identified to have the same genetic strain as the illnesses that occurred in late 2018. Many of the illnesses under investigation occurred between October 2018 and July 2019.

It is possible that more recent illnesses may be reported in the outbreak because there is a period of time between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported to public health officials. This period of time is called the case reporting delay. In national Salmonella outbreak investigations, the case reporting delay is usually between 5 and 6 weeks.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) previously investigated similar Salmonella illnesses in several states that were linked to raw turkey exposure. There were some turkey products recalled in the U.S. that were associated with that outbreak. These products were not imported or distributed in the Canadian marketplace. The U.S. investigation was closed in April 2019.

This update reflects 39 illnesses that have been added to the outbreak investigation. In Canada, there are now 72 illnesses under investigation. The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to remind Canadians to always handle raw turkey and raw chicken carefully, and to cook it thoroughly to prevent food-related illnesses like Salmonella.

Why should you take note

The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with provincial and territorial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella infections.

Based on the investigation findings to date, exposure to raw turkey and raw chicken products has been identified as the likely source of the outbreak. Many of the individuals who became sick reported eating different types of turkey and chicken products before their illnesses occurred.

Twenty-five of the 72 illnesses included in this active investigation occurred between October 2018 and January 2019. These 25 illnesses are genetically related to another 47 illnesses that occurred between April 2017 and September 2018. The outbreak appears to be ongoing, as recent illnesses continue to be reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Salmonella bacteria are commonly found in raw or undercooked poultry like turkey or chicken. The bacteria are most-often transmitted to people when they improperly handle, eat or cook contaminated foods.

This outbreak is a reminder of the importance of using safe food handling practices if you are preparing, cooking, cleaning or storing raw turkey and raw chicken products. These raw products can have bacteria that can easily be spread around food preparation areas and can make you sick if safe food-handling practices are not properly followed.

Canadians across the country are reminded to always handle raw turkey and raw chicken carefully, and to cook it thoroughly to prevent food-related illnesses like Salmonella. The Public Health Agency of Canada is not advising that consumers avoid eating properly cooked turkey or chicken products, nor is it advising retailers to stop selling raw turkey and raw chicken products.

This public health notice is being issued to inform Canadians of the investigation findings to date and to share important safe food-handling practices to help prevent further Salmonella infections. This notice will be updated as the investigation evolves.

Investigation summary

As of January 31, 2019, there have been 72 confirmed cases of Salmonella Reading illness investigated in the following provinces and territories: British Columbia (20), Alberta (24), Saskatchewan (6), Manitoba (13), Ontario (6), New Brunswick (1), Northwest Territories (1), and Nunavut (1). Individuals became sick between April 2017 and early January 2019. Eighteen individuals have been hospitalized. One individual has died. Individuals who became ill are between 0 and 96 years of age. The majority of cases (55%) are female.

The collaborative outbreak investigation was initiated due to an increase of Salmonella Reading illnesses that occurred in October and November 2018. Cases have continued to be reported since the investigation was initiated. Through the use of a laboratory method called whole genome sequencing, some Salmonella illnesses dating back to 2017 were identified to have the same genetic strain as the illnesses that occurred in late 2018. Many of the illnesses under investigation occurred between October 2018 and January 2019.

It is possible that more recent illnesses may be reported in the outbreak because there is a period of time between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported to public health officials. This period of time is called the case reporting delay. In national Salmonella outbreak investigations, the case reporting delay is usually between 5 and 6 weeks.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) is also investigating similar Salmonella illnesses in several states that have been linked to raw turkey exposure. There have been some turkey products recalled in the U.S. that were associated with this outbreak. These products were not imported or distributed in the Canadian marketplace.

The CFIA is collaborating with the overall outbreak investigation and is liaising with the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding their investigation into the potential turkey source. The CFIA will issue food recall warnings to inform Canadians if any products recalled in the U.S. were imported in Canada.

This update reflects 11 additional illnesses that have been reported in the outbreak. In Canada, there are now 33 illnesses under investigation. The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to remind Canadians to always handle raw turkey and raw chicken carefully, and to cook it thoroughly to prevent food-related illnesses like Salmonella.

Why should you take note

The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with provincial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella infections.
Based on the investigation findings to date, exposure to raw turkey and raw chicken products has been identified as the likely source of the outbreak. Many of the individuals who became sick reported eating different types of turkey and chicken products before their illnesses occurred.

Many of the illnesses included in this active investigation occurred between October and December 2018. These illnesses are genetically related to illnesses that date back to 2017. The outbreak appears to be ongoing, as illnesses continue to be reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Salmonella bacteria are commonly found in raw or undercooked poultry like turkey or chicken. The bacteria are most-often transmitted to people when they improperly handle, eat or cook contaminated foods.

This outbreak is a reminder of the importance of using safe food handling practices if you are preparing, cooking, cleaning or storing raw turkey and raw chicken products. These raw products can have bacteria that can easily be spread around food preparation areas and can make you sick if safe food-handling practices are not properly followed.

Canadians across the country are reminded to always handle raw turkey and raw chicken carefully, and to cook it thoroughly to prevent food-related illnesses like Salmonella. The Public Health Agency of Canada is not advising that consumers avoid eating properly cooked turkey or chicken products, nor is it advising retailers to stop selling raw turkey and raw chicken products.

This public health notice is being issued to inform Canadians of the investigation findings to date and to share important safe food-handling practices to help prevent further Salmonella infections. This notice will be updated as the investigation evolves.

Investigation summary

As of January 8, 2019, there have been 33 confirmed cases of Salmonella Reading illness investigated in the following provinces: British Columbia (9), Alberta (8), Saskatchewan (2), Manitoba (10), Ontario (3), and New Brunswick (1). Individuals became sick between April 2017 and early December 2018. Six individuals have been hospitalized. One individual has died. Individuals who became ill are between 0 and 93 years of age. The majority of cases (55%) are female.

The collaborative outbreak investigation was initiated due to an increase of Salmonella Reading illnesses that occurred in October and November 2018. Cases have continued to be reported since the investigation was initiated. Through the use of a laboratory method called whole genome sequencing, some Salmonella illnesses dating back to 2017 were identified to have the same genetic strain as the illnesses that occurred in late 2018. Many of the illnesses under investigation occurred between October and December 2018.

It is possible that more recent illnesses may be reported in the outbreak because there is a period of time between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported to public health officials. This period of time is called the case reporting delay. In national Salmonella outbreak investigations, the case reporting delay is usually between 5 and 6 weeks.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) is also investigating similar Salmonella illnesses in several states that have been linked to raw turkey exposure. There have been some turkey products recalled in the U.S. that were associated with this outbreak. These products were not imported or distributed in the Canadian marketplace.

The CFIA is collaborating with the overall outbreak investigation and is liaising with the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding their investigation into the potential turkey source. The CFIA will issue food recall warnings to inform Canadians if any products recalled in the U.S. were imported in Canada.

Why should you take note

The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with provincial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella infections.

Based on the investigation findings to date, exposure to raw turkey and raw chicken products has been identified as the likely source of the outbreak. Many of the individuals who became sick reported eating different types of turkey and chicken products before their illnesses occurred.

Almost half of the illnesses included in this active investigation occurred in October and November 2018. These illnesses are genetically related to illnesses that date back to 2017. The outbreak appears to be ongoing, as illnesses continue to be reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Salmonella bacteria are commonly found in raw or undercooked poultry like turkey or chicken. The bacteria are most-often transmitted to people when they improperly handle, eat or cook contaminated foods.

This outbreak is a reminder of the importance of using safe food handling practices if you are preparing, cooking, cleaning or storing raw turkey and raw chicken food products. These raw products can have bacteria that can easily be spread around food preparation areas and can make you sick if safe food-handling practices are not properly followed.

Canadians across the country are reminded to always handle raw turkey and raw chicken carefully, and to cook it thoroughly to prevent food-related illnesses like Salmonella. The Public Health Agency of Canada is not advising that consumers avoid eating properly cooked turkey or chicken products, nor is it advising retailers to stop selling raw turkey and raw chicken products.

This public health notice is being issued to inform Canadians of the investigation findings to date and to share important safe food-handling practices to help prevent further Salmonella infections. This notice will be updated as the investigation evolves.

Investigation summary

As of December 21, 2018, there have been 22 confirmed cases of Salmonella Reading illness investigated in the following provinces: British Columbia (9), Alberta (7), Manitoba (5), and New Brunswick (1). Individuals became sick between April 2017 and mid-November 2018. Five individuals have been hospitalized. One individual has died. Individuals who became ill are between 0 and 93 years of age. The majority of cases (64%) are female.

The collaborative outbreak investigation was initiated due to an increase of Salmonella Reading illnesses that occurred in October and November 2018. Through the use of a laboratory method called whole genome sequencing, some Salmonella illnesses dating back to 2017 were identified to have the same genetic strain as the illnesses that occurred in October and November 2018. Almost half of the illnesses under investigation occurred in October and November 2018.

It is possible that more recent illnesses may be reported in the outbreak because there is a period of time between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported to public health officials. This period of time is called the case reporting delay. In national Salmonella outbreak investigations, the case reporting delay is usually between 5 and 6 weeks.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) is also investigating similar Salmonella illnesses in several states that have been linked to raw turkey exposure. There have been some turkey products recalled in the U.S. that were associated with this outbreak. These products were not imported or distributed in the Canadian marketplace.

The CFIA is collaborating with the overall outbreak investigation and is liaising with the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding their investigation into the potential turkey source. The CFIA will issue food recall warnings to inform Canadians if any products recalled in the U.S. were imported in Canada.