The leafy greens cone of silence continues to silence or impair epidemiology across North America.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says today that 13 people across Canada were sickened with E. coli O157:H7 with a possible link to leafy greens, and that the investigation concluded on May 12, 2015.

Two weeks is a long time to get approval for a simple press release.

“Although leafy greens were identified as a possible source of illness, a specific source of the outbreak could not be confirmed.

“During the investigation, exposure to leafy greens was identified as a possible source of illness. Leafy greens can include all varieties of lettuces and other green leaf vegetables such as kale, spinach, arugula, or chard. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency conducted an investigation into leafy greens, however no specific food products were identified as the source of the outbreak.”

And the usual boilerplate:

“Canadians are reminded to always follow safe food handling practices to avoid illness. Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing or eating food. Wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly with clean, safe running water before you prepare and eat them.”

Yup, 13 people from Alberta to Newfoundland got sick with the same E. coli because of bad handwashing (not).