1 death from E. coli after lettuce warning, health officials won't say where
The Public Health Agency of Canada has confirmed that one person has died from E. coli infection linked to romaine lettuce but says privacy laws prevent it from saying where.
According to an update posted to the agency's website on Friday, 30 cases have been reported, and the investigation has expanded into Ontario, where six people reported being sick.
That's up from the 21 cases that had been reported when a warning was first issued on Tuesday.
The largest proportion of the cases, 13, are in Newfoundland and Labrador, while five are in Quebec, another five are in New Brunswick and one is in Nova Scotia. Health officials in Nova Scotia have confirmed the death did not occur there.
A dozen people have been hospitalized.
The public health agency says many people reported getting sick after eating romaine lettuce. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working to determine the source.
It said the E. coli cases involve people between four and 80 years old, and 70 per cent are women.
Symptoms, which appear up to 10 days after contact with the bacteria, include nausea, vomiting, headache, mild fever, cramps and diarrhea.
