Seattle Italian restaurant reopens after people report getting sick

UPDATE: Mama Stortini's Restaurant & Bar reopened on Dec. 14. 

A Seattle Italian restaurant that had closed after 15 people from five meal parties had became ill after eating there has reopened.

Mama Stortini's Restaurant & Bar in Northgate had voluntarily closed on Dec. 12 and later reopened on Dec. 14.

The King County and Seattle health department investigated a foodborne illness outbreak associated with norovirus.

During the field inspection, investigators identified 14 employees who experienced similar symptoms – nausea, vomiting, diarrhea – in the last two weeks.

From Dec. 11-12, the health department learned of 15 people who reported getting sick after eating at Mama Stortini’s, located at 401 NE Northgate Way.

According to a statement on their Facebook page, Mama Stortini's has since undergone a thorough cleaning and sanitizing. Health investigators revisited the restaurant and allowed it to open on Dec. 14.

Click here for a searchable database of food ratings from other King County restaurants. 

The health department said it had received  laboratory confirmation that one of the ill persons was was infected with norovirus. The other people who reported getting sick, their symptoms were suggestive of norovirus as well.

As of Dec. 18, the health department did not identify the source that caused the illness.

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that frequently spreads person-to-person and is often associated with food.

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