Quebec accounts for 70% of cantaloupe salmonella cases in Canada

About 70 per cent of confirmed Canadian cases in the ongoing cantaloupe salmonella outbreak are in Quebec, according to health officials.

In a Dec. 7 update, the Public Health Agency of Canada said it's recorded 129 cases nationwide since the outbreak began. Quebec represents 91 of them, a sharp increase from numbers reported last week, when the infection count in the province was logged at 35.

Canada has recorded five total deaths from the disease, although the health agency does not specify where they occurred.

There are also cases in Ontario (17), British Columbia (15), Prince Edward Island (2), New Brunswick (2) and Newfoundland and Labrador (2).

There have been 44 hospitalizations across Canada linked to the outbreak.

CTV News asked the Quebec Health Ministry where the infections are most concentrated but has yet to receive a response. 

Officials issued multiple food recall warnings in November for Malichita cantaloupes sold between Oct. 11 and Nov. 14.

On Nov. 24, the warning was updated to include Rudy brand cantaloupes sold between Oct. 10 and Nov. 24.

With files from The Canadian Press.