OTTAWA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Canada has confirmed its first disease related to the outbreak of E. coli involving spinach grown in the United States, health officials announced Monday.

    A 43-year-old woman in Renfrew County in eastern Ontario province became ill in early September and had to be hospitalized, the province's Health Ministry said.

    Health officials said she had a strain of E. coli that is an exact genetic match to the strain that has killed one person and caused 170 others to become sick in 25 U.S. states in recent months.

    The woman has been released from hospital, officials said.

    It has yet to be determined exactly where the woman purchased the contaminated spinach, but officials said it was in Canada.

    Meanwhile, U.S. health officials said cases linked to the E. coli bacteria outbreak continue to grow, despite advisories that consumers not eat fresh spinach. Two more people were reported ill Sunday.

    E. coli O157:H7 in spinach can be killed by cooking at 160 Fahrenheit (about 71 centigrade) for 15 seconds. If spinach is cooked in a frying pan, and not all parts reach the temperature, bacteria may still exist.

    E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called HUS. HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly, which can lead to serious kidney damage and even death. Enditem