Epidemiological information: Salmonella illness related to chia seed powder
Updated: August 13, 2014
Related Public Health Notice
What is epidemiology?
Epidemiology is the study of disease in a population. Epidemiologists, or "disease detectives," use surveillance systems to identify those who are sick and confirm that the sick people are part of this event. They then gather information from the people who got sick and review the clues from all parts of the investigation that might reveal the cause of the illness event.
The figure below forms part of the epidemiological investigation into this outbreak. An "epi curve" (Figure 1) is a valuable reference tool in any epidemiological investigation. An epi curve shows when cases begin, when they peak, and when they trail off. Certain details of the people who got sick (Table 1) also help epidemiologists as they work to solve the questions involved in foodborne illness.
For more information on specific cases please contact the appropriate provincial health authority.
Figure 1. Number of people infected with the outbreak strain of S. Newport, S. Hartford, S. Oranienburg or S. Saintpaul*
Text equivalent for figure 1
Table 1. People confirmed to be infected with the outbreak strain of S. Newport, S. Hartford, S. Oranienburg, or S. Saintpaul by week of illness onset
| Illness onset date or estimated onset date (by week) | Number of cases* |
|---|---|
| December 1, 2013 | 1 |
| December 8, 2013 | 1 |
| December 15, 2013 | 2 |
| December 22, 2013 | 0 |
| December 29, 2013 | 0 |
| January 5, 2014 | 0 |
| January 12, 2014 | 1 |
| January 19, 2014 | 3 |
| January 26, 2014 | 3 |
| February 2, 2014 | 0 |
| February 9, 2014 | 3 |
| February 16, 2014 | 5 |
| February 23, 2014 | 4 |
| March 2, 2014 | 2 |
| March 9, 2014 | 0 |
| March 16, 2014 | 1 |
| March 23, 2014 | 2 |
| March 30, 2014 | 3 |
| April 6, 2014 | 2 |
| April 13, 2014 | 2 |
| April 20, 2014 | 3 |
| April 27, 2014 | 2 |
| May 4, 2014 | 5 |
| May 11, 2014 | 4 |
| May 18, 2014 | 4 |
| May 25, 2014 | 5 |
| June 1, 2014 | 0 |
| June 8, 2014 | 2 |
| June 15, 2014 | 2 |
| June 22, 2014 | 1 |
* Information available for 63 of 63 cases
Note: It can take several weeks from the time a person becomes ill to when this illness is reported and testing confirms a link to the outbreak.
| Outbreak status | Ongoing |
|---|---|
| Case count | 63 |
| Provinces/Territories | 4 |
| Hospitalizations | 12 |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Gender (m:f)* | 20:43 |
| Age range in years | 0-89 |
* Information available for 63 of 63 cases