Public health officers from King County, WA, are investigating an E. coli O157 outbreak that has been associated with Tokyo Stop Teriyaki restaurant.
So far, five patients have been identified. Four of them have required hospitalization. They ate at the restaurant on Nov. 24 to Nov. 26 and became ill from Nov. 26 though Dec. 1.
There is an additional patient whose illnesses matches the other sick people but did not reporting at Tokyo Stop Teriyaki. Public health officials say this could mean that a contaminated food product was served at the restaurant and elsewhere.
The county health department used DNA fingerprinting — whole genome sequencing — to determine that the sick people are infected with the same strain of E. coli.
The Tokyo Stop Teriyaki restaurant’s current health code rating is “needs improvement.”
The investigation is still in progress, and public health is asking for the public’s help.
If you ate at Tokyo Stop Teriyaki in November or December, and later developed symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea (including bloody diarrhea), or fever, please fill out the survey: STEC Outbreak Questions. This could help the health department identify the potential source of STEC infections and prevent future outbreaks.
About E. coli infections
Anyone who has eaten any at the Tokyo Stop Teriyaki restaurant and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses.
The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications.
About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor.
Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients.
People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems.
