Alberta Health Services (AHS) says an outbreak at the restaurant at Saskatoon Farm, south of Calgary, is presumed to be caused by E. coli and an illness stemming from a parasite.
It says 235 illnesses have been linked to the outbreak, and 18 of the cases are lab-confirmed E. coli. Three also tested positive for Entamoeba histolytica, a parasite that can cause an illness called amoebiasis.
AHS said Friday there are no symptoms associated with the parasite, but it can cause gastrointestinal illness and–rarely–severe infections of the liver, lungs, heart, and brain.
Two people have been hospitalized, though one has been discharged.
This comes after Saskatoon Farms closed the restaurant on July 23 voluntarily for a day. AHS ordered the immediate shutdown the same day. The rest of the venue is still open and safe for business.
Meanwhile, anyone who ate or drank at the restaurant between July 1 and July 16 and is experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms should call Alberta Health Link at 811.
If you’re experiencing no symptoms, AHS says to call Health Link for amoebiasis screening after July 30. The illness might not have immediate symptoms, but it can lead to serious illness.
Water in the facility is believed to be the cause, with AHS saying Saskatoon Farms shut off the water and switched to a different source.
The E.coli identified, called Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC), is not normally found in treated drinking water. However, it’s not toxin-producing and generally goes away without treatment, according to AHS.
The owner believes rainwater got into the cisterns they use for their water, but they switched the supply as soon as they became aware that people were getting sick.
AHS Medical Officer of Health Dr. Francesco Rizzuti says there were some complaints of an “unusual taste” in the water around July 15-16.
“We’re continuing to investigate a number of samples, discussions with the site, really trying to understand exactly what it is, but from what we’ve understood from talking with the site, interviews with these 235 individuals, the common thread that continues to come up is consumption of beverages, water or food that was produced with water from … that contaminated cistern, and so that is our working understanding of contamination,” he said.
He says AHS is confident the water is the source, making the reopening plan contingent on a safe and sustainable water supply.
The parasite is not commonly seen in Alberta or Canada, and the three results of amoebiasis are presumptive, meaning there isn’t a clinical result for the illness at this time.
“Amoebiasis is the definition or the term used for when folks have severe illness or illness related to one of these Entamoeba parasites, and so we do not have any confirmed amoebiasis, so clinical illness related to this severe illness related to Entamoeba histolytica,” Rizzuti said.
“But we do have three stool results for Entamoeba histolytica.”
Resident recovering following positive test after restaurant visit
CityNews spoke with a woman who provided a test result for the same strain of E. coli health officials have identified in this outbreak, which she tested positive for.
Danielle Graham explains via email that she went to the hospital last Friday after feeling “violently ill,” experiencing what she describes as uncontrollable bloody diarrhea, a fever, a heart rate of 108 beats per minute, body aches, and severe dehydration, as just some of her symptoms.
She says she is on antibiotics and recovering, still experiencing symptoms such as sweating, extreme stomach pain and diarrhea. She adds that her sister and her sister’s daughter, who were also dining with Graham, also had to go to the hospital.
Graham says the farm’s response to her illness has been lacklustre, saying “The farm neglected to respond to my two emails I had sent them including my positive tests. I had commented on their Facebook post and just today got a reply from them, very generic. I do not feel they are sincere with how they are dealing with this.”
CityNews reached out to the farm Friday evening, but did not hear back before publication.
AHS asks anyone with questions or concerns to contact Health Link to speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by dialling 811.