King County Public Health agency shut down an Ethiopian restaurant in Seattle’s central district on Wednesday afternoon after connecting the establishment to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7, health agency spokeswoman Kathryn Ross has confirmed to Food Safety News.
At least two people have fallen ill in the outbreak, and Ross said the likelihood of others being sickened is uncertain.
In its closure notification, the agency cited Ambassel Ehtiopian Cuisine & Bar with five safety violations, including the outbreak.
Other violations included foods not being protected from cross-contamination, improperly sanitized equipment, and poor personal hygiene among employees due to inadequate handwashing facilities.
Ross said that the specific cause of the outbreak was not yet known, and the agency would have more information soon on when or whether the restaurant will reopen.
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