Health officials investigating outbreak of gastrointestinal illness linked to Seattle deli

SEATTLE — Public Health Seattle & King County is investigating an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness linked to a Seattle deli.

The illness has reportedly caused diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, headaches and fevers in those who ordered takeout from Saigon Vietnam Deli.

Health officials said since Aug. 3, they learned that eight people with the illness reported eating takeout food together July 25.

The group also ordered takeout from another restaurant, but officials said only half of the people who were ill ate food from the other place, and it is unlikely the source of the illness.

Health officials said they have not identified what might have caused the illness, and no ill employees have been identified yet.

On Aug. 5, health officials said they reached out to the restaurant by phone and reviewed food handling practices, illness polices, facility cleaning, sanitizing and disinfection procedures to try to identify possible risk factors for the spread of the illness.

The next day, an environmental health investigator visited the restaurant to conduct an on-site inspection and go over food handling practices, officials said. During that visit, the investigator identified potential risk factors, which included inadequate hand-washing, improper cleaning and sanitizing of food surfaces, and several other food handling practices, officials said.

Officials said they don’t have laboratory results for those who got sick, but the symptoms are suggestive of a bacterial illness. 

Cox Media Group