35 people sick after eating ‘Thanksgiving feast’ from Seattle Indian restaurant

An Indian restaurant’s “Thanksgiving feast” has allegedly caused 35 people to get sick, according to King County Public Health.

The restaurant, Kanishka Cuisine of India in downtown Seattle, prepared a “Fusion Thanksgiving Feast” for the holiday. Since Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving, 35 people have reported suffering from a gastrointestinal illness.

Those who got sick reported one or more symptoms, including diarrhea, stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headache, and body aches.

No restaurant workers have reported feeling ill. Officials with King County Public Health have not found a specific food or drink causing the illness.

“However, the illnesses match what we see with bacterial toxins,” King County Public Health stated. “These are poisons made by certain bacteria that can grow quickly when food is left at room temperature. When that happens, the food can become contaminated and make people sick.”

While the outbreak appears to be over, according to the department, its investigation remains ongoing.

Unsafe practices found during inspection

On Dec. 2, King County Public Health visited the restaurant and found several problems that could have contributed to this outbreak, including insufficient equipment and kitchen space to safely prepare both their regular food service and the extra food for the Fusion Thanksgiving Feast.

The health department also found that the cooling methods the restaurant used may not have lowered the food’s temperature to a safe level, and some foods weren’t kept cold enough to prevent bacterial toxins from growing.

“On Dec. 4, we went back to the restaurant to check if the earlier food safety problems had been fixed,” King County Public Health wrote. “During our visit, we saw that food was still being cooled improperly and that items requiring refrigeration were being kept at room temperature. Because these issues could make people sick, we closed the restaurant until they are fixed. While closed, the restaurant threw out unsafe food and will be retraining staff on safe food handling.”

Kanishka Cuisine of India has previously received an “excellent” rating from the department’s food safety rating system.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

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