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By Kevin Bell

Aug. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian public-health officials said as many as 12 deaths may be linked to an outbreak of food poisoning, an increase from four yesterday, and the number of cases may rise.

Eleven of the fatalities from listeriosis occurred in Ontario and one was in British Columbia, Mark Raizenne, director- general for the Public Health Agency of Canada, said today at a news conference in Ottawa. The fatalities are among 26 cases of the disease from the same strain of listeria that was identified at a Toronto plant run by Maple Leaf Foods Inc.

The company, Canada's largest food processor, expanded a food recall yesterday to include all meat products made at the Toronto plant, which is scheduled to reopen tomorrow. Of the deaths in Ontario, listeriosis was listed as the cause or an underlying factor in six fatalities, with the other five under investigation to determine the extent to which the disease was a factor, Raizenne said.

"We fully expect that the numbers of suspected and confirmed cases will increase as this investigation continues and samples continue to be tested,'' Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said at the news conference.

Health officials are also investigating an additional 29 suspected cases to determine whether they are connected to the strain discovered at the Maple Leaf plant.

Maple Leaf temporarily closed its Bartor Road plant in Toronto last week after a number of Sure Slice delicatessen meats tested positive for listeria, a type of bacteria that can lead to fevers, severe headaches and nausea. Listeriosis is the disease caused by the bacteria.