MONTREAL - One person has died, and nine others in Quebec are sick, after contracting an e. coli infection that is linked to walnuts.

The infections were first detected in January, and there are an additional two cases in New Brunswick and two in Ontario.

Quebec's Public Health Agency would not reveal any information about the person who died or the seven who were hospitalized, other than saying that the deceased had other health issues.


Contaminated walnuts are likely cause

Health officials believe imported walnuts that were on sale from January 1, 2011 until a recall notice was issued April 3, 2011 may be the source of the e. coli infection.

The nuts were sold in bulk, as prepackaged walnut halves or crumbs, and as mixes of 'salad booster' or mixed nuts under several names, all distributed by Amira Enterprises.

The affected brand names for the packaged nuts include Amira, Tia, and Merit Selection, but the nuts sold in bulk would not be labelled.

Amira issued the recall on Sunday, but vice-president Abel Boulos says so far no contaminated walnuts have been found.

"None of the walnuts have tested positive for e. coli.," said Boulos.


Life-threatening illness

Food contaminated with e. coli may not look or smell spoiled, but can still cause a life-threatening illness.

Anyone with raw, shelled walnuts in their home can reduce the risk of E. coli infection by roasting the walnuts prior to eating them. Place the nuts on a cooking sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, turning the nuts over once after five minutes.

An e. coli O157: H7 infection will usually result in bloody diarrhea, and otherwise healthy individuals usually recover in about a week.

However kidney failure is also possible if the infection develops into a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome, when a person's kidneys struggle to remove damaged red blood cells.


Canadian history

E. coli O157:H7 is a strain of bacteria found in the intestinal tract of cows. It does not make them sick.

It came to the public's attention in the '80s and '90s as "hamburger disease," because most people who got sick did so from eating improperly cooked hamburger meat.

The bacteria can also spread to the udders of cows, and in many cases has been transferred to raw milk, and can flow from cattle feces to lakes and streams.

Cross-contamination can occur when contaminated manure is used to fertilize crops, or when tainted water is used to wash or irrigate produce.

In May 2000, water supplies in Walkerton, Ontario were contaminated with e. coli when runoff from a farm went into a well.

Half of the town's 5,000 inhabitants fell sick with bloody diarrhea, and at least seven people died.