On JUly 30, 2020, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced, “Investigators have determined that red onions imported from the United States (U.S.) are a likely source of the outbreak.”
The Public Health Agency of Canada has been collaborating with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in investigating the outbreak and it was found through traceback information that the contaminated red onions are being imported to Canada from the U.S. and distributed in central and western Canada.
Red onions grown in Canada are not associated with this outbreak. More information is needed to determine the cause of contamination in red onions imported from the U.S.
If you live west of Quebec, you should throw out red onions that came from the U.S. and any foods potentially made with them.July 31, 2020
The CDC is also investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Newport illnesses that have a similar genetic fingerprint to illnesses reported in the Canadian outbreak. Investigators in Canada and the U.S. continue to collaborate to exchange information and identify commonalities in the outbreak information.
Outbreak News Today is reporting that the red onions Salmonella outbreak has infected Americans in 23 states and Canadians in 5 provinces. The outbreak is expected to continue to grow.
Both the CDC and Canadian public health officials are urging citizens to refrain from eating red onions – including whole, sliced, or chopped, as well as prepared foods that contain red onions as an ingredient, such as premade salads, sandwiches, wraps, or dips.
If you have red onions at home:
Look for a label showing where the red onion was grown. It may be printed on the package or on a sticker.
If the packaging or sticker shows that it is from the U.S., don’t eat it. Throw it away and wash your hands.
If it isn’t labeled, don’t eat it. Throw it away and wash your hands.
If you don’t know whether the red onion found in a premade salad, sandwich, wrap or dip contains red onion from the U.S., don’t eat it. Throw it away and wash your hands.
Wash and sanitize drawers or shelves in areas (such as fridges and cupboards) where red onions were stored.
