Public health officials in Seattle are investigating a foodborne illness outbreak that affected 35 people during Thanksgiving week.
The health department reports that all 35 patients ate food from Kanishka Cuisine of India. The patients either picked up the food for carry out or received it by delivery. Illnesses began on Nov. 28.
“We haven’t found a specific food or drink from the Fusion Thanksgiving Feast menu that caused this outbreak. However, the illnesses match what we see with bacterial toxins. These are poisons made by certain bacteria that can grow quickly when food is left at room temperature. When that happens, the food can become contaminated and make people sick,” according to a statement from the health department.
The outbreak appears to be over, but the investigation is ongoing. The restaurant was temporarily closed.
The sick people reported one or more symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headache and body aches. The health department did not find any sick restaurant workers with signs of gastrointestinal illness.
On Dec. 2, health inspectors visited the restaurant and found several problems that could have contributed to the outbreak:
- Not having the proper equipment or kitchen space to safely prepare both their regular food service and the extra food for the Fusion Thanksgiving Feast.
- The cooling methods they used may not have brought the food down to a safe temperature.
- Some foods weren’t kept cold enough to stop bacterial toxins from growing.
We provided education to the establishment on how to cool food safely and reminded them that they must limit the scale of their food preparation to what has been approved by Public Health.
“On Dec. 4, we went back to the restaurant to check if the earlier food safety problems had been fixed. During our visit, we saw that food was still being cooled improperly and that items requiring refrigeration were being kept at room temperature,” the health department reported.
“Because these issues could make people sick, we closed the restaurant until they are fixed. While closed, the restaurant threw out unsafe food and will be retraining staff on safe food handling.”
Tests on four sick people came back negative for germs that commonly cause gastrointestinal illness in people like norovirus, Salmonella, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). However, these tests don’t check for bacteria that make toxins.
Illness from bacterial toxins usually starts quickly after eating and ends within a short time. By the time someone sees a doctor, it is usually too late to test.
Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens are both bacteria that grow fast at room temperature and produce toxins that can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Both bacteria are also naturally found in the environment.
Outbreaks often happen when large batches of food are cooked and sit out too long at room temperatures — between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F. Some food linked commonly to these bacteria include meats, rice, leftovers, sauces, soups, and other prepared foods.
Contaminated foods stored outside of safe temperature ranges may allow for growth of the bacteria or their spores (bacteria with a tough, outer layer). Refrigeration and cooking help reduce the risk, but don’t eliminate these bacteria or spores.
