'Deeply difficult situation': Calgary farm apologizes over gastrointestinal outbreak
Food service facilities, including a restaurant and a bakery, have been forced to close at a popular Calgary farm due to a gastrointestinal outbreak that has impacted hundreds of people.
Saskatoon Farm has apologized to guests after reported water quality issues led to the outbreak, which Alberta Health Services (AHS) has said is “presumed to be E. coli and amoebiasis.”
“This has been an unprecedented and deeply difficult situation for us. Our hearts are with everyone who has been affected, and we are truly sorry for the impact this has had,” Saskatoon Farm said in a statement posted to its website.
The farm added that while the exact cause of the outbreak has not yet been confirmed, it is likely that the stretch of “unusually heavy rainfall” experienced in Calgary contributed to the issue.
A statement was first issued by Saskatoon Farm on July 22, after some guests who dined at the farm on July 15 and 16 had experienced flu-like symptoms.
The farm announced that it had been made aware of “unprecedented changes” to its water quality on July 17, stating that it had immediately switched to an alternative water source deemed satisfactory by AHS.
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On July 23, AHS ordered Saskatoon Farm to close its restaurant, bakery and Red House until “conclusive results” are returned from its testing facilities. Saskatoon Farm assured guests that it is fully cooperating with the organization on working towards a safe reopening.
In a statement posted on July 25, AHS confirmed that there had been 18 lab-confirmed cases of E. coli, three of which had also tested positive for amoebiasis to date.
Around 235 symptomatic individuals have been linked to the outbreak, resulting in two hospitalizations, with one patient subsequently discharged.
It also advised anyone who had consumed food, beverages or water at Saskatoon Farm between July 1 and 16 and experienced gastrointestinal symptoms to call Health Link at 811 for testing. Anyone who has not experienced symptoms has been asked to call Health Link on or after July 30 for amoebiasis screening.
While there often aren’t symptoms associated with amoebiasis, the parasite can cause gastrointestinal illness and, in rare cases, “severe infection of the liver, lungs, heart and brain,” AHS warned.
All other areas of Saskatoon Farm, including its U-Pick fields, vegetable stand, and store, remain open to the public.