The BC Centre for Disease Control has confirmed that a male from Nanaimo is the first B.C. resident to come down with the same strain of E. coli identified in the XL Food Inc. food safety investigation that has prompted a massive beef recall across Canada.

The BCCDC said it received confirmation of the test Monday and that the male, whose age was not released, has recovered from his illness.

The confirmation comes as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency expanded its list of recalled beef products to include three new B.C. retailers: Africa Trading, Hanahreum Mart and Urban Fare. The affected products, which include sausages, short ribs and steaks, were manufactured between August 24 and Sept. 5.

Canada has now linked 11 cases of E. coli O157:H7 to tainted beef from the XL Foods plant in Brooks, Alta., after confirming five new cases across the country due to contamination that has spurred one of the largest recalls in the nation’s history.

“The person became sick in the middle of September,” said BCCDC epidemiologist Dr. Eleni Galanis, in a conference call Monday about the B.C. case. “The exact source is still being investigated.”

Galanis said it shows there is a potential risk in B.C., although that’s not surprising because at least one-third of B.C.’s beef originates from XL Foods.

Galanis said her agency gets reports of two to three cases of E. coli per week. There were 11 cases reported in September or “about the average,” said Galanis, adding there has been no increase in the number of cases in the past few months.

She said every case is being investigated to determine a potential link with the contamination at the XL plant. She also noted that while E. coli can result in severe illness, the cases linked to XL have so far resulted in mostly moderate illness, with no deaths and no serious complications.

Galanis said she did not recommend avoiding beef, instead, any beef on the recall list should be returned to the store or discarded and all other beef thoroughly cooked.

But customers outside the Urban Fare Express at Cordova and Bute Monday said they are concerned about the recall and are changing their eating habits.

“We stopped buying beef two weeks ago,” said Vancouver resident Milo Layl. “I’m changing to organic. I think it’s healthier. We have to think more about where it’s coming from.”

Nicole Strong, who had just bought beef from Urban Fare, said she wasn’t aware of the recall but will now change her buying habits and look into buying local products.

“I usually just grab and go. But now I might look into organic beef.”

Raw beef trimmings at the Alberta facility supplied by XL Foods tested positive for the E. coli O157:H7 strain on Sept. 4 and the CFIA has traced the contamination to five production dates during the end of August and beginning of September.

Canadian regulators have removed as many as 1,800 products from store shelves to halt the outbreak. As well, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service has recalled 2.5 million pounds (1.1 million kilograms) of meat, including ground beef and steaks.