A Salmonella outbreak has occurred at the Imperial’s Garden in Wapato, Washington, during a car show the restaurant was hosting on July 4, 2026. The Yakima Health District is investigating 10 confirmed and suspected cases among people who reported eating at that venue. The restaurant is located at 4817 Lateral A Road in Wapato. The event was not related to the operations of the Imperial’s Garden Farm stand. Imperial’s Garden is working with public health officials to find the source of the pathogen.
We don’t know much about the people sickened in this outbreak. We don’t know the patient age range, if anyone was hospitalized, or illness onset dates. It’s true that the symptoms of a Salmonella infection usually start 6 to 72 hours or up to a week after exposure to the bacteria, so people would have developed the symptoms between July 5 and July 9, 2026.
We also don’t know if the investigation is leaning toward food or beverages as a source of the bacteria, or an ill employee or employees. Even after someone thinks they have recovered from this infection, they can continue to shed the pathogen.
The media release stated that food workers who have been experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning contact the Yakima Health District at 509-249-6532. If you are sick, you must get approval from public health officials before you can return to work.
Melissa Sixberry, Director of Disease Control, Yakima Health District said in a statement, “Individuals who work in food service play an important role in protecting public health. Because they prepare or serve food for many people, they may pose a significant risk of spreading foodborne illness if infected with Salmonella. Even after symptoms have resolved, Salmonella can still be spread. For this reason, and in accordance with Washington Administrative Code (WAC) requirements, food workers who attended the event and experienced symptoms consistent with Salmonella infection should get tested, even if they are no longer sick, before returning to work.”
If you ate at that restaurant during that event and have been experiencing the symptoms of salmonellosis, see your doctor. You may be part of this outbreak.
