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Gastrointestinal illness outbreak associated with Zobel Ethiopian Cuisine
7 months ago •source kingcounty.gov • business
Outbreak
1219 East Jefferson Street, Seattle, 98122 Washington, United States
Zobel Ethiopian Cuisine, a restaurant located in Seattle, has been linked to a recent outbreak of gastrointestinal illness. The incident, which is believed to be caused by a bacterial toxin, has affected two individuals from separate households who reported becoming sick on March 4, 2024. No ill employees were identified at the restaurant.The outbreak was investigated by the King County Public Health Dept., which identified symptoms and timing of illness onsets suggestive of a bacterial toxin, such as Clostridium perfringens or Bacillus cereus. The exact food ingredient or drink that caused the illnesses was not identified, a common occurrence in outbreaks associated with bacterial toxins. The two affected individuals reported symptoms consistent with a bacterial toxin, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, chills, and body aches.
Environmental Health investigators visited the restaurant on March 11, 2024, identifying potential risk factors for bacterial toxin growth, including improper cooling of food and inadequate refrigeration. Corrective actions were implemented immediately, and investigators provided education on proper cooling procedures for cooked foods
If you or a loved one are harmed or experiencing any symptoms, it is important to report it. Reporting can help to detect & resolve outbreaks early and prevent others from being harmed, and enable better surveillance. If symptoms persist, seek medical care.
Source: kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dph/health-safety/disease-illness/foodborne-illness-outbreaks/2024-march-4-zobel-ethiopian-cuisine
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I cannot emphasize enough how critical the rapid cooling of the Potentially Hazardous Foods (PHFs) are. While cooking the food to reach its minimum required temperature would kill the harmful pathogens, however some microorganisms still have the ability to survive the heat/thermal treatment and they can possibly grow again in food that has been kept to cool down gradually & slowly at room temperature for an extended period of time making people fall ill after consuming it. Therefore, you need and must move the cooked PHFs to the walk-in cooler and place them on the coldest spot immediately, so that the temperatures go down faster in certain timeframe.