Norovirus outbreak associated with Sammamish Cafe & Spirits

Highlights, posted July 18, 2024

Summary

Public Health investigated an outbreak of norovirus associated with Sammamish Cafe & Spirits. We identified multiple sick restaurant staff who reported symptoms consistent with norovirus. Norovirus can spread through multiple contaminated food items, environmental surfaces, and from person to person.

This outbreak appears to be over.

Illnesses

Since July 6, 2024, five people have reported becoming sick after eating food and drinks at Sammamish Cafe & Spirits on July 2nd and July 3rd, 2024. One additional person, who lives in the same home as someone who became sick, developed symptoms but did not eat food or drinks from the restaurant. This person likely became sick from the sick person they live with. Everyone had one or more symptoms consistent with norovirus illness, including vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and chills.

We found multiple sick restaurant staff who reported symptoms consistent with norovirus dating back to July 4, 2024.

Public Health actions

After the initial reports of illness, Environmental Health Investigators closed the restaurant on July 12, 2024. The restaurant was directed to do a thorough cleaning and disinfection because we suspected norovirus, a very common cause of gastrointestinal illness.

We visited the restaurant on July 15, 2024, to assess the cleaning and disinfection performed by the restaurant. We also reviewed restaurant staff health histories and found several restaurant staff who reported symptoms consistent with norovirus from July 4 through July 12, 2024. None of these restaurant staff worked while sick. No restaurant staff reported being sick with vomiting or diarrhea in the two weeks before the sick customers ate at the restaurant. We reviewed with restaurant management the requirement that sick staff are not allowed to work until they are symptom-free for at least 48 hours and provided education about preventing the spread of norovirus — including proper handwashing and preventing bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.

After we confirmed the restaurant had conducted a thorough cleaning and disinfection, they were allowed to reopen on July 15, 2024. Environmental Health Investigators will revisit the restaurant within two weeks to ensure proper compliance with food handling practices and confirm proper cleaning and disinfection is in place.

Laboratory testing

Three of the six people who became sick underwent testing. Two of the people tested positive for norovirus.