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E. coli outbreaks reported in two Canadian cities

 
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10/06/2006 03:02 PM
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E. coli outbreaks reported in two Canadian cities
Ontario E. coli outbreaks reported
Oct. 6, 2006. 01:56 PM
CANADIAN PRESS


There are reports that health authorities are investigating possible E. coli outbreaks in two different Ontario cities, but so far there is no confirmed link between the illnesses.

CBC is reporting that health officials are investigating three cases of the deadly bacteria in Hamilton and three more hundreds of kilometres away in Sudbury.

The report says another 12 additional potential cases are also being evaluated.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency spokesman Alain Charette told CBC a food source has not been confirmed yet.

A recent E. coli outbreak in the United States prompted a nationwide consumer warning about fresh spinach.

At least one Canadian case — this one in eastern Ontario, far from either Hamilton or Sudbury — has been linked to tainted spinach.





13:32ET 06-10-06
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Re: E. coli outbreaks reported in two Canadian cities
Study: Water quality hit and miss in Canada
Group calls for national standards


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Health Canada has estimated that unsafe drinking water causes 90,000 illnesses and 90 deaths every year.
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Font: * * * * Dennis Bueckert, Canadian Press
Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
OTTAWA - Six years after the Walkerton tragedy, communities in most provinces and territories remain at risk of waterborne illness due to inadequate water testing and treatment, says a national study.

Only four provinces - Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec - require advanced treatment of drinking water, such as state-of-the-art filtration, says the study by the Sierra Legal Defence Fund.

Only two provinces, Ontario and Newfoundland, provide routine information on water quality by publicizing test results, says the report. The situation in First Nations communities is described as scandalous.

Where does your province rank?
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"It really indicates a misplaced sense of priorities," says Randy Christensen, author of the report. He says the public doesn't realize the level of water-related illness and death.

Health Canada has estimated that unsafe drinking water causes 90,000 illnesses and 90 deaths every year. These don't get public attention unless they occur in clusters, said Christensen.

"The cost is quite high and there's really no excuse in a country that's as well off as Canada and has the abundance of water supply."

Canada has no enforceable drinking water standards such as those enjoyed by the United States and the European Union.

That's partly because the federal government lacks authority to impose regulations on the provinces, but Ottawa could show leadership by pushing for minimum standards, says Christensen.

"If you look at the things the federal government could and should be doing . . . you can pretty much say they're doing an abysmal job."

The number of boil-water advisory days in municipalities across Canada increased 24 pr cent between 1993 and 1998, says the report. More recent data are not available.

Christensen said Ottawa should be keeping track of national trends in water quality problems, in part by maintaining a registry of boil-water advisories.

The report says that many cash-strapped communities don't have the means to upgrade water treatment facilities, or to invest in operator training.

It says provincial governments opt for small improvements to save money, and the federal government takes a similar approach. A countrywide trend to deregulation compounds the problem.

The report grades Canada's jurisdictions for their water safety policies: Ontario, A-; Quebec, B+; Alberta, B; Nova Scotia, B; Saskatchewan, B-; British Columbia, C+; Manitoba, C+; Northwest Territories, C+; Nunavut, C; Newfoundland, C-; Prince Edward Island, C-; Yukon, C-; New Brunswick, D.

© The Canadian Press 2006





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