Bellevue IHOP:  The restaurant that keeps giving – Salmonella 

Seattle King County Public Health is investigating a continuing outbreak of salmonellosis (infections caused by Salmonella bacteria) associated with IHOP in Bellevue.

Public Health’s investigation suggests this specific strain of Salmonella was introduced into this IHOP by Salmonella-contaminated diced onions that made people sick across the United States in 2023. 

The contaminated onions were recalled and thrown away in October 2023 at this IHOP. However, on April 2, 2024, this Salmonella strain was identified in the restaurant through environmental testing and people have continued to get sick from the same strain of Salmonella since then. This suggests Salmonella bacteria, which is known to live on surfaces like plastic and steel for a long time, is still in the restaurant, even after multiple closures, deep cleanings, and throwing away potentially contaminated food and equipment. 

This outbreak may not be over since it often takes at least 3-4 weeks before Public Health can connect someone’s sickness, like salmonellosis, to a specific outbreak. You can read more about this 3-4 week timeline on the CDC’s foodborne outbreak webpage.

Until this outbreak is over, Public Health will continue to investigate and provide updates while working with this IHOP to stop the spread of Salmonella. 

Key actions that Public Health is taking with this IHOP include:

• Regular deep cleanings and disinfection of the restaurant;
• Highlight and assess food safety practices of restaurant staff; 
• Making sure restaurant staff are not working while infected with Salmonella; and
• Testing restaurant surfaces for Salmonella whenever new cases of Salmonella are identified

Since late 2023, Public Health has learned of 32 people infected with the same strain of Salmonella. This includes one IHOP in Bellevue restaurant staff member who regularly ate food from the workplace. Of these 32 people, 22 became sick after eating a wide variety of food and drinks at this IHOP (many of these food items did not include onions). Public Health has been unable to confirm if the remaining 10 (of 32) people infected with the same strain had consumed food or drinks from this IHOP. The people with Salmonella ranged in age from 1 to 78 years old.

Note: through ongoing laboratory testing, interviews, data collection, and analysis, we have been able to confirm additional Salmonella cases linked to this outbreak. The updated count now includes people that are not King County residents.

In January 2024, the Washington State Department of Health alerted us of three Salmonella cases that matched the national Salmonella outbreak from contaminated fresh diced onions. Public Health’s investigation then identified that all three people became sick after eating at IHOP in Bellevue. We didn’t identify a specific food or drink that all had eaten.

Environmental Health investigators visited the restaurant and found:

• The restaurant had already gotten rid of all the recalled onions in October 2023
• There were no identified concerns with the food preparation process

IHOP completed a deep cleaning and provided food safety training for restaurant staff. 

In March, Public Health re-opened the investigation after we found out about another person who became sick after eating at this IHOP. 

In response, Public Health tested surfaces in the restaurant. One tested positive for the same strain of Salmonella that the sick people had. Public Health then:

• Closed the restaurant on April 10 and had them do a deep cleaning and disinfection.
• Allowed the restaurant to reopen April 12 after Environmental Health investigators went to the restaurant to make sure they did a deep cleaning and disinfection of the restaurant. 

Repeat testing of the restaurant surfaces after they reopened were negative for Salmonella. Note: because only small areas of the restaurant can be tested at any one-time, negative tests do not prove that Salmonella is not still there.

In May 2024, Public Health found out about more people who became sick after eating at the restaurant after reopening in April. 

In response, Public Health:

• Closed the restaurant on May 24.
• Tested various surfaces in the restaurant, which were negative for Salmonella.
• Made the restaurant do an extensive deep cleaning and disinfection, which was done by an industrial cleaning company.
• Required regular testing of the restaurant surfaces for Salmonella, which will take place every 3 months for the next year.
• Required restaurant management to make sure restaurant staff are not sick before they start work, every time. 
• Required more frequent cleaning and disinfection of the restaurant until this outbreak is over.
• Allowed the restaurant to reopen on June 7.

Restaurant management also voluntarily tested all staff. One restaurant staff member tested positive for Salmonella but had no signs of being sick. Public Health made sure that the staff member had two negative Salmonella results before returning to work. 

In June, Public Health again found out about more people who became sick after eating at IHOP in Bellevue after they reopened June 7. 

In response, Public Health:

• Closed the restaurant again on June 27.
• Tested the restaurant surfaces, which were negative for Salmonella. 
• Made sure the restaurant did more extensive cleaning and disinfection.
• Allowed the restaurant to reopen on July 6, 2024.

Everyone except two people had testing that identified the same strain of Salmonella, identified as Salmonella Thompson, based on DNA fingerprinting (whole genome sequencing or WGS). The two people that did not have testing had symptoms consistent with salmonellosis and ate food or drink at IHOP in Bellevue with people that did have testing that identified the same strain of Salmonella.

On April 2, 2024, Public Health environmental testing at IHOP in Bellevue identified the same strain of Salmonella Thompson in the restaurant. 

These human and environmental laboratory results suggest ongoing contamination of food or drink from IHOP in Bellevue as the likely source of the people’s Salmonella infection.

Salmonella:  Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $900 million for clients.  Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants.  The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.  

If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.

Additional Resources:

• About Salmonella – a complete resource for victims of Salmonella outbreaks
• Marler Clark Salmonella Lawsuits and Litigation
• Downloadable Salmonella Fact Sheet

William “Bill” Marler has been a food safety lawyer and advocate since the 1993 Jack-in-the-Box E. coli Outbreak which was chronicled in the book, “Poisoned” and in the recent Emmy Award winning Netflix documentary by the same name. Bill work has been profiled in the New Yorker, “A Bug in the System;” the Seattle Times, “30 years after the deadly E. coli outbreak, A Seattle attorney still fights for food safety;” the Washington Post, “He helped make burgers safer, Now he is fighting food poisoning again;” and several others. 

Dozens of times a year Bill speaks to industry and government throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, China and Australia on why it is important to prevent foodborne illnesses.  He is also a frequent commentator on food litigation and food safety on Marler Blog. Bill is also the publisher of Food Safety News.

Republished with permission from Bill Marler and Marler Clark. Copyright (c) Marler Clark LLP, PS. All rights reserved.

Source: https://www.marlerblog.com/case-news/bellevue-ihop-the-restaurant-that-keeps-giving-salmonella/