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Canada Has First E. Coli Case Linked To Europe Outbreak

Ontario Man First Confirmed Canadian Case Linked To European E. Coli Outbreak

THE CANADIAN PRESS -- TORONTO - Officials have confirmed that an Ontario man who consumed local produce in Germany earlier this spring has Canada's first case of E. coli linked to the deadly outbreak in Europe.

Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care says laboratory tests have verified that the man from Peel Region west of Toronto has the E. coli 0104 strain.

The ministry said earlier this week that he was suspected to have the bug, which has killed at least 26 people in Europe and sickened more than 2,700.

Ministry spokesman Andrew Morrison says no other cases linked to the European outbreak have been identified in Canada.

The man, who returned to Canada at the end of May, is out of hospital and continues to recover.

No cause for the outbreak has been found although victims have reported eating local produce.

More tests came back negative today on sprout samples from an organic farm in northern Germany. But the facility is still considered a possible source of the illness since more than 50 infected people have been tracked to that farm.

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