E. coli outbreak linked to California restaurant chain sickens nine people across state – San Francisco Chronicle
The nine Californians fell ill between March 27 and April 30, and health officials identified the likely source of the outbreak as beef koftka (ground beef kebabs) served at The Kebab Shop, a restaurant chain with locations across California, including nine in the Bay Area.
Six of the nine people are children, and five have been hospitalized. Two have developed a severe complication, hemolytic uremic syndrome, that can lead to kidney failure. No one has died.
The Kebab Shop paused the sale of beef koftka at all its locations on Monday, and the risk of exposure to the product is not ongoing, the health department said. It appears the contaminated beef was distributed only to The Kebab Shop.
The health department said that the outbreak was linked to several locations of the restaurant chain, but did not specify which ones.
Not all types of E. coli make people sick, but the type implicated in this outbreak, STEC (Shiga toxin-producing E. coli) can cause diarrhea, often bloody, as well as vomiting and abdominal cramps.
If you have eaten beef koftka from The Kebab Shop and develop these symptoms within 10 days, contact a health care provider, the health department said. Symptoms usually start three to four days after being infected and most people improve on their own within a week. But some people will worsen and require medical care. Young children are especially vulnerable.
In a statement posted on its website, The Kebab Shop CEO Arian Baryalai said other proteins sold at the restaurant come from different suppliers and are not associated with this issue. The company has set up a hotline that guests can call with questions or concerns, 888-965-5821, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. PT.
“Please know that your confidence in us means a great deal, and we’re dedicated to continuing to serve you delicious, safe food everyday,” he said.
