A CrackleMi Café Salmonella outbreak in Seattle, Washington has sickened at least three people, according to the King County Public Health Department. The illnesses occurred in August, but the investigation into the outbreak was announced on September 21, 2023. That restaurant is located at 709 North 35th Street in Seattle.
Illness onset dates range from August 16 through August 20, 2023. The patients ate at that cafe on dates ranging from August 7 to August 17, 2023. The patient age range is from 23 to 38 years. All three patients developed one or more symptoms that are consistent with salmonellosis, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal ramps, diarrhea, stool that is bloody, and fever.
All three patients had confirmatory testing that indicated Salmonella infections via culture. All three cases had the same strain of Salmonella, based on whole genome sequencing that was conducted at the Washington State Public Health Laboratory.
Food Safety Attorney and Food Poisoning Bulletin Publisher Eric Hageman
Noted food safety lawyer Eric Hageman, who has successfully represented many clients in Salmonella outbreaks, said, “No one should get sick because they decided to eat a sandwich for lunch or dinner. Hopefully no one else got sick in this outbreak.”
Pubic Health interviewed the patients to try to identify common exposures. The three patients said they ate a different type of banh mi sandwich, which is made with pork or chicken or egg and vegetables, at the CrackleMi Café before they got sick.
Environmental health officials visited the restaurant on September 19 and 20, 2023. Investigators reviewed the food preparation process hit could cause cross-contamination between different types of meats or other ingredient used in the sandwiches. They found problems that could have contributed to the outbreak, such as the risk of cross-contamination, improper handwashing, and improper glove use. No employees showed any sign of Salmonella infections.
The restaurant closed voluntarily on September 20, 2023, to clean and disinfect. Inspectors will verify that these procedures were completed properly before the restaurant can reopen.
Salmonella food poisoning symptoms typically start 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the pathogen. If you have been suffering with these symptoms after eating at that restaurant, see your doctor. You may be part of this CrackleMi Café Salmonella outbreak. It is important to see a doctor because, even after recovery, patients can experience long term complications that can include reactive arthritis, endocarditis, irritable bowel syndrome, and high blood pressure.
If you have been sickened with a food poisoning infection, 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.
