Another person has died due to the listeriosis outbreak, bringing the nationwide total to 16. The latest death is in Ontario, where 14 people are confirmed to have died as a result of the listeria strain.
The outbreak is linked to meat produced by Maple Leaf Foods at its North York plant. Fresh Obsessions brand sliced mushrooms were also recently recalled due to listeria contamination, as well as cheese sold from Cheese Magic, a popular Kensington market cheese shop in Toronto.
Symptoms of listeriosis include vomiting, nausea, cramps, diarrhea, severe headache, constipation and fever. Symptoms usually occur within three weeks of eating contaminated foods.
The risk of developing listeriosis is low for people with healthy immune systems, however for the elderly, pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems, exposure to the listeria bacteria can be very dangerous.
