6 people test positive for same E. coli strain in B.C. amidst flour recall

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) is urging British Columbians to throw out flour that may be contaminated with E. coli after six people in the province tested positive for the same strain of the bacteria.

In a release, the BCCDC said all six people tested positive for the same strain of E. coli O121, and that a sample of flour from one patient also tested positive for that same strain.

It's unclear whether all six people ate the same flour, but the BCCDC is advising anyone who purchased a 10-kilogram bag of Rogers all-purpose flour with the lot number MFD 17 Jan 19 C — which was sold to Costco customers in B.C. beginning in January — to dispose of it. 

The warning comes on the heels of a number of flour recall announcements across the country. The BCCDC says it is unclear whether this most recent outbreak is connected.

The BCCDC is advising anyone who becomes ill after eating raw dough, batter or flour to contact a physician.