Salmonella Poona Outbreak Comes to North America
October 15th, 2008 laurie
The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with provincial and local health authorities and the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control to investigate a potential North American gastro-intestinal outbreak of Salmonella Poona.
In Canada to date, there have been 26 cases spread across British Columbia (1), Manitoba (1), Quebec (8), Ontario (14) and Nova Scotia (2) with the same genetic fingerprint.
The cause of the potential outbreak is not known at this time. Provincial laboratories and the Agency’s National Microbiology Laboratory are conducting ongoing analyses to determine if other Salmonella Poona cases share the same genetic fingerprint as those identified thus far. The number of cases associated with this outbreak may increase as the investigation continues.
For most people, the risk posed by Salmonella Poona is very low. Although Salmonella is the most frequently reported cause of food-related outbreaks of stomach illnesses worldwide, Salmonella Poona is relatively rare.
Salmonella Poona causes the same illnesses as other species of Salmonella.
Symptoms generally occur in one to three days after eating tainted food, and will last two to five days. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. It can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in some people, such as children, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems.












