Possible Norovirus Closes Renton Restaurant: King County

RENTON, WA - King County is investigating a possible outbreak of norovirus at a local Mexican restaurant. Five people were sickened after eating at La Hacienda on April 21, according to King County. The restaurant closed for a thorough cleaning, according to the county.

King County reported that the people who were sickened came down with gastroenteritis, including vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. Although the county has not tested for norovirus specifically, the symptoms are consistent with that virus, which is extremely common and contagious.

During an April 27 inspection of the restaurant, King County investigators found a health code violation around food handling practices, but the restaurant is working with investigators to fix that violation. La Hacienda is located along South 3rd Street in the downtown area.

Norovirus has hit the Puget Sound region hard this winter and spring. At the end of March, the county reported that 39 people were sickened with possible norovirus after eating at a number of local restaurants. That outbreak was traced to raw oysters. Over the winter, a Seattle elementary school had to close due to a suspected norovirus outbreak.

Because it is extremely hardy in the environment, norovirus can be transmitted in a number of ways aside from eating contaminated food. The virus can live on door knobs and other surfaces, and alcohol-based hand sanitizer is ineffective at killing the virus.

To learn more about norovirus and how it works, visit the King County Public Health website.

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