Ixtapa Mexican Restaurant E. coli outbreak - Washington State
In October of 2008, Snohomish County Health Department (SCHD) epidemiologists investigated an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak among patrons of the Ixtapa Family Mexican Restaurant in Lake Stevens, Washington. Dates of illness onset ranged from October 7-17, 2008.
An investigaltion by the SCHD and the Washington State Department of Health (WSDOH) identified sixty-four cases of E. coli infection linked to the consumption of food at Ixtapa restaurant. Four confirmed cases were hospitalized, and one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication of E. coli that can lead to kidney failure.
On October 22, 2008 Marler Clark filed an E. coli lawsuit on behalf of a Snohomish County family whose minor child was sickened in the outbreak. The firm has filed 6 additional E. coli lawsuits against Ixtapa: two on November 16, 2009, two on November 30, and two on December 8.
On January 13, Marler Clark filed a multi-party lawsuit on behalf of seventeen victims of the outbreak, bringing the total number of plaintiffs to 25