The number confirmed ill in an E. coli outbreak linked to a Seattle Ethiopian restaurant has risen to three, according to King County Public Health spokeswoman Kathryn Ross. The health agency forced the closure of Ambassel Ethiopian Cuisine & Bar on March 6 after connecting the establishment to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, along with finding seven critical health violations and another five non-critical violations. During the March 6 inspection, health officials found surfaces in contact with raw meat not properly cleaned, inadequate handwashing facilities for workers, and improper methods used to prevent bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods. The restaurant has remained closed, and the owners are currently working with the county health agency to correct the concerns in hopes of reopening, Ross said. Once the restaurant has shown it has corrected the issues that caused its violations, it will be subject to a follow-up inspection before being allowed to reopen. In its history of six other inspections dating back to April 2010, Ambassel was dinged for inadequate handwashing stations four times. The establishment was also cited for workers not carrying food handlers permits during the most recent inspection, as well as on four occasions in the past. The most recent inspection also found non-critical violations that included food being prepared without protection from cross-contamination, food contact surfaces not being properly maintained and sanitized, and the uncontrolled presence of insects and rodents.
