Sushi King Salmonella Outbreak - Arkansas
On February 13, 2006 the Benton County Health Unit (BCHU) received a report that a physician had treated four area residents for gastroenteritis. All four reported eating at the Sushi King Restaurant in Bentonville, Arkansas, prior to symptom onset. Laboratory test results of patients’ specimens were pending, and an alert was sent to area health care providers and clinics advising them of a possible foodborne illness outbreak in the community.
On February 13, BCHU environmental health specialists conducted an on-site outbreak investigation at Sushi King with follow-up visits on February 15 and 17. The restaurant owner agreed to close the restaurant until the source was identified and the outbreak stopped. Before food service was halted, investigators observed unsafe food handling practices and temperature abuse at the facility. Other errors noted during the February inspections included improper sanitation, improper storage, and inadequate hand washing.
By February 17, laboratory results had confirmed Salmonella Typhimurium in patients, and news of the outbreak was broadcast on local television. The Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services (ADHHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) joined the investigation.
BCHU staff collected information from patients regarding the consumption of various menu items at Sushi King, and a case-control study was conducted. From the case-control study, investigators found that consumption of Sushi King California rolls was statistically associated with illness. When specific ingredients of the crab roll were evaluated, only the imitation crab mix ingredient was statistically associated with illness.
Eight of the 9 Sushi King employees submitted stool specimens for laboratory analysis; 5 specimens tested positive for Salmonella. The employees were not allowed to return to work until they had submitted two stool samples that tested negative for Salmonella. Finally, on March 10 the restaurant received a clean inspection report and was allowed to reopen.
BCHU, ADHHS, and CDC investigators ultimately identified 63 confirmed cases and 98 probable cases of Salmonella epidemiologically linked to Sushi King; at least five restaurant patrons were hospitalized.
Marler Clark had resolved 22 claims against Sushi King as of November, 2007.