The BC Centre for Disease Control says five people in B.C. have been affected by an E. coli outbreak between August and October linked to Little Qualicum Cheeseworks’ Qualicum Spice cheese.
The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) is warning British Columbians to throw out a cheese product made by a Parksville company that has been linked to recent cases of E. coli illness.
The BCCDC says Little Qualicum Cheeseworks’ Qualicum Spice cheese with a best before date up to and including Apr. 24, 2019 should be discarded from homes after tests found samples were contaminated with E. coli.
An investigation is ongoing to determine the source and extent of contamination.
The BCCDC says five people have gotten sick from the E. coli outbreak between August and October.
The product is sold throughout B.C. in grocery stores, farmers’ markets, wineries, restaurants and at the Little Qualicum Cheeseworks’ farmgate store.
Qualicum Spice is an unpasteurized cheese and Little Qualicum Cheeseworks has voluntarily recalled the affected product.
There are no other dairy products being recalled at this time.
There is a wide range of symptoms associated with E. coli contamination that can appear within one to ten days including:
- severe stomach cramps
- diarrhea or bloody diarrhea
- vomiting
- headache
- little or no fever
The BCCDC says if you have eaten Qualicum Spice cheese and become ill, you should go see your health care provider.
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