Two listeriosis deaths in Ontario linked to plant-based milk recall: MOH
Two deaths as a result of a listeriosis outbreak linked to a plant-based milk recall are in Ontario, provincial health officials confirmed Thursday.
Silk brand almond milk, coconut milk, almond-coconut milk and oat milk, as well as Great Value brand almond milk, were recalled earlier this month.
"At this point in time, the Ministry of Health can confirm that 2 deaths in Ontario have been related to this outbreak," a spokesperson told CP24 in an email. "The Ministry of Health is working closely with Local Public Health Agencies, Public Health Ontario, the CFIA, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada regarding the recall of these products."
At least 12 lab-confirmed cases of listeriosis have been reported in connection with the recall, including 10 in Ontario and one each in Quebec and Nova Scotia.
All of the affected products, of which there are 18, include the product code 7825 and best-before dates up to and including Oct. 4.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), products contaminated with listeria may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick and include symptoms like vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness.
“Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die,” PHAC said in the recall.
Of the reported listeriosis cases in Canada, 67 per cent were reported in women and the ages of those hospitalized are between 37 and 89. PHAC said the people who became sick developed symptoms between August 2023 and early July 2024.
Health officials warned that more infections may continue to be reported as the illness reporting period for this outbreak is between nine and 35 days.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the president of Danone Canada, Frédéric Guichard, said all 15 of the Silk products have been removed from shelves across the country.
"The news in this notice is devastating and our most sincere sympathies go out to the families and loved ones during this difficult time,” he said.
It’s unclear if the three Great Value products, which are produced by Walmart, are still on the shelves.
If you believe you have one of the affected products in your home, PHAC advises to throw the items out or return them to where they were purchased.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau appears unwilling to expand proposed rebate, despite pressure to include seniors
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau does not appear willing to budge on his plan to send a $250 rebate to 'hardworking Canadians,' despite pressure from the opposition to give the money to seniors and people who are not able to work.
'Mayday!': New details emerge after Boeing plane makes emergency landing at Mirabel airport
New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.
Cucumbers sold in Ontario, other provinces recalled over possible salmonella contamination
A U.S. company is recalling cucumbers sold in Ontario and other Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella contamination.
Latest updates: Tracking RSV, influenza, COVID-19 in Canada
As the country heads into the worst time of year for respiratory infections, the Canadian respiratory virus surveillance report tracks how prevalent certain viruses are each week and how the trends are changing week to week.
Weekend weather: Parts of Canada could see up to 50 centimetres of snow, wind chills of -40
Winter is less than a month away, but parts of Canada are already projected to see winter-like weather.
Atlantic hurricane season comes to an end, leaving widespread damage in its wake in U.S.
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season comes to a close Saturday, bringing to an end a season that saw 11 hurricanes compared to the average seven.
Armed men in speedboats make off with women and children when a migrants' dinghy deflates off Libya
Armed men in two speedboats took off with women and children after a rubber dinghy carrying some 112 migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea started deflating off Libya's coast, a humanitarian aid group said Friday.
Federal government posts $13B deficit in first half of the fiscal year
The Finance Department says the federal deficit was $13 billion between April and September.
W5 Investigates A 'ticking time bomb': Inside Syria's toughest prison holding accused high-ranking ISIS members
In the last of a three-part investigation, W5's Avery Haines was given rare access to a Syrian prison, where thousands of accused high-ranking ISIS members are being held.