Statement on listeriosis outbreak by Chief Public Health Officer.

As Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, I want to update Canadians on the state of the ongoing listeriosis outbreak.

For most people, the risk posed by listeria is very low.  Even though the bacteria itself is very common in the environment, healthy people who are exposed rarely become ill.  Our greatest concern is with the risk listeriosis poses pregnant women, the very old, the very young and people with weakened immune systems.

We are all understandably concerned whenever we hear that something as precious as the food we eat may pose a danger. Years of effort to ensure safe and secure food supplies have allowed us to be confident in what we eat. Unfortunately given the number and variety of bacteria, viruses and parasites out there sometimes we will still see outbreaks like we are working on now. And when it happens it can have serious effects for many people. I offer a wish for speedy recovery to any who have fallen ill, and my sympathies and prayers go to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one.

While not everything is preventable, fortunately there are some simple steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of illness for ourselves and our families. There are the usual things we should always be doing, like washing hands, storing and cooking food properly, washing fruits and vegetables well, and avoiding raw, unpasteurized milk and dairy products. But with this listeriosis outbreak, remember that contaminated meat often will not look or smell bad, so it is important to check the Maple Leaf recall list on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website to see if you own meat that from the affected plant. The easiest way to tell if you have recalled products is to check for the code 97B that would appear beside the "best before" or "packaged on" dates. Most importantly, if you are in doubt, don't hesitate to throw it out.

Nationally, we continue to report updated numbers of illness and death. We expect we will still see new cases for some time even after the recalls and closure and cleaning of the affected plant, as the time between when someone is exposed and becomes ill can vary from as little as three days to over two months. This long incubation period is part of what is making the management of this outbreak challenging.

Listeriosis can cause flu-like symptoms but for the vast majority, flu-like symptoms will not mean listeriosis is the cause. However, if you're in one of these higher risk groups, and you find yourself suffering symptoms, such as persistent fever, severe headaches, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting, speak to your doctor. This is always good advice whether or not there is an outbreak like this going on, as we annually see cases of this disease.

Canadians should be confident that the Government of Canada, through the
Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada and the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency, is working closely with all provinces, territories, and with Maple Leaf Foods to respond to this outbreak and protect the public's health.

We can never be completely immune to the risk of contaminations and outbreaks, even with the best food safety system in the world. That is why we operate surveillance and other systems to identify potential outbreaks and do the detective work that helps us to find the cause and stop further problems. And what we learn from each experience helps us to improve the system further.

Dr. David Butler-Jones, MD
Chief Public Health Officer