Some recalled meat may have been served to hospital patients or nursing home residents, public health officials in Nova Scotia say.
The province's chief world health policeman, Dr. Robert Strang, said patients may have eaten some of the products before they were added to a national recall list coupled to a listeriosis outbreak.
"We are continuing to alert the public, given that the elderly, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women are at increased risk of exposure and are frequent patients at our facilities," he said in a tone ending issued Friday.
Eight deaths take been coupled to the listeriosis irruption in Canada, while seven-spot others are being investigated. As of Thursday, there were 29 confirmed cases. None possess surfaced in Nova Scotia.
The outbreak is linked to deli meats tainted with the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria at a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto.
People who eat foods contaminated with listeria may have a bun in the oven the bacterium and not develop listeria meningitis. Those at risk of getting sick are the very cy Young, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.
Symptoms of listeriosis � which include high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea � can come up to 70 days after overwhelming contaminated food, though the average incubation period is 30 years, health officials say.
The departments of Health Promotion and Agriculture are working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ensure facilities in Nova Scotia ar not serving recalled products, Strang said.
Sobeys pulls food shop productsStrang's warning comes as more meat is being pulled from stores in Atlantic Canada.
Sobeys announced Thursday it is recalling some of its ready-to-eat deli products, including sandwiches, subs, wraps and deli-meat platters sold in Sobeys and Foodland stores in the four provinces.
The market chain is urging people to avoid the products because they contain some of the meat products recalled by Maple Leaf Foods.
The Sobeys recall is voluntary, and the CFIA said there have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of the food shop products.
Many foods have been removed from stores in Nova Scotia since the outbreak began.
Maple Leaf Foods recalled a number of products, patch Costco pulled Kirkland brand platters and Atlantic Prepared Foods Ltd. recalled Irving, Sub Delicious and Needs brand sandwiches.
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