An E. coli O26 outbreak at Torero’s Mexican Restaurant in Renton, Washington has sickened at least three people, according to the King County Health Department. No hospitalizations have been reported. That restaurant is located at 920 North 10th Street in Renton.
The dates that cases were reported to public health are September 8 through September 16, 2022. The dates that patients ate at that restaurant are September 3 and September 7, 2022. Patients have been experiencing diarrhea and abdominal pain. All of the cases have confirmatory testing indicated infections with E. coli O26 via culture.
The three patients ate at the restaurant in three separate meal parties. All of the patients developed one or more symptoms consistent with a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection. No ill employees have been identified.
The cases have the same strain of STEC, based on whole genome sequencing conducted at the Washington State Public Health Laboratory.
Public health officials have not yet determined how the pathogen was spread within the restaurant. E. coli bacteria can spread through contaminated food, through contact with contaminated surfaces, and from person to person.
Public health conducted interviews with the patients to try to identify common exposures. On September 29, 2022, officials identified Torero’s as a common food source for all of the patients.
Environmental Health investigators visited the restaurant on September 30, 2022. They identified inadequate handwashing facilities and improper storage of raw meats as potential risk factors. All of the critical violations were corrected during the inspection. Inspectors will revisit the facility within the next two weeks to make sure the employees are complying with safe food handling practices.
If you have eaten at Torero’s Mexican restaurant and have been ill with the symptoms of an E. coli infection, see your doctor. you may be part of this E. coli O26 outbreak.
If you have been diagnosed with an E. coli infection after eating at Torero’s Mexican Restaurant in Renton, Washington, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors.
