Pillsbury pizza pops linked to E. coli outbreak

The Public Health Agency of Canada is warning the public after 23 people, including two Manitobans, were infected with E. coli due to an ongoing outbreak linked to Pillsbury brand pizza pops.

People who ate the frozen pizza snacks became sick between early October and late November, and public health has issued a recall on certain types of the product. Of the cases reported, five people have been hospitalized, the government said in a notice Wednesday.

The recall applies to the following products:

• pepperoni and bacon pizza pops (30 pizza snacks)
• pepperoni and bacon pizza pops (eight pizza snacks)
• supremo extreme pepperoni and bacon pizza pops (30 pizza snacks)
• Frank’s RedHot pepperoni and bacon pizza pops (four pizza snacks)

The public is advised to check to see whether they have the recalled products in their home. People should throw out or return recalled products to their place of purchase, and clean all surfaces and storage areas with which the snacks may have come in contact with.

Anybody with symptoms of E. coli should contact their health-care provider, the notice said.

Most people who become ill from an E. coli recover within a few days without treatment, with symptoms ranging from nausea and vomiting, to headache, fever, diarrhea and stomach cramps. Some infections can cause severe illness. Pregnant women, children younger than five or adults older than 60, and people with weakened immune systems are at heightened risk.