The salmonellosis outbreak linked to contaminated melons that has been raging in Canada for more than a month has claimed a seventh victim and sent about sixty people to hospital.
• Also read: Cantaloupes have now claimed six lives in Canada
In its latest update on Friday, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) reported 164 cases of salmonellosis linked to contaminated melons recorded in eight provinces.
Quebec is the hardest-hit province with 111 recorded cases, followed by Ontario and British Columbia with 21 and 18 cases, respectively.
Lab-confirmed cases of salmonellosis were rare elsewhere, such as in Alberta and Nova Scotia, where there were four cases, while in the rest of the Maritimes there were no more than six cases.
According to the federal agency, 61 people have been hospitalized due to eating this contaminated fruit, with 52% of those affected being women.
The PHAC recommends that the public who owns Malichita or Rudy brand melons not to consume them, throw them away and wash their hands.
Given the dismal record of salmonella outbreaks in Quebec, the law firm Slater Vecchio LLP filed a class action lawsuit.