CTV reports that Belle Bourque, a 69-year-old Westville resident, fell ill on Boxing Day. Bourque’s illness was one of seven E. coli O157:H7 cases confirmed in Nova Scotia last week. Three more cases were confirmed today – bringing the total number of cases in the province to ten – and five cases have been confirmed in New Brunswick.
According to health department officials, based on food history and time frames, they believe that the cases are linked. They are also narrowing their focus to produce-type items that have been distributed through the restaurants instead of grocery stores.
However, while the source hasn’t been pinpointed, the Bourque family believes lettuce may be the culprit:
“She had gone out for dinner with a group of ladies and they all had lettuce in some form, and that’s the only common thing that they ate,” says Bourque-Gower. Three of the four women fell ill.