VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – BC has its first official case of E. coli linked to XL Food Inc. in Alberta.

The BC Centre for Disease Control confirms it was someone from Nanaimo, who has since recovered.

An investigation into the exact source is still ongoing.

“The person became sick in the middle of September. The exact source of their illness is still being investigated. The results from the lab shows it’s the same strain as found in the contaminated beef,” says the centre’s Elani Galanis.

The fact the illness has cropped in BC doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

“The XL Food plant where the beef was found to be contaminated produces enough beef to cover a third of the consumption in Canada. So a third of the beef consumed in BC comes from this plant,” Galanis points out.

This is the 11th confirmed case in Canada of someone suffering from the same strain of E. coli that originated from the huge plant in southern Alberta which is closed until further notice. 

Meanwhile, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency added more items to its long list of beef products that have been pulled from store shelves across Canada.

The latest additions affect raw beef and ready-to-eat products sold here in BC under the Africa Trading and HanAhReum Mart brands, or sold at Urban Fare.

The number of illnesses linked to beef products from the plant stands at 11 people from four provinces.

The BC CDC is reminding you not to eat any of the recalled products and take these precautions to prevent food-borne illness:

– Be sure to cook raw beef thoroughly to a final cooking temperature of at least 71C

– Wash your hands before and after cooking

– Keep knives, counters and cutting boards clean

– Keep raw meats separate from other foods when you store them

– Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly

You are also asked to check your fridge and freezer for any of the recalled products. If you have any of the recalled products, throw them out or return them to where you bought them.