New Food Poisoning Outbreak Related To Oysters Found In Seattle

SEATTLE, WA - King County Public Health on Thursday morning reported a second oyster-related foodborne illness outbreak in Seattle. The new outbreak stems from oysters served at The White Swan, a restaurant along the shores of Lake Union off of Fairview Avenue North.

On Wednesday, King County reported that at least three people were sickened in June after eating raw oysters served at The Salted Sea in Columbia City.

In the White Swan outbreak, at least six people from two different dining parties were sickened. They appear to have come down with vibriosis, a gastrointestinal ailment that causes diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. King County first learned about the illnesses on July 6.

As was the case with outbreak related to oysters served at The Salted Sea, health inspectors did not find any faults at The White Swan that would've contributed to the illness outbreak. That means the oysters were likely contaminated before they got to the restaurant.

The oysters served at The White Swan were from shellfish beds in Washington state and New Zealand. Health investigators were unable to track the outbreak to a specific shellfish bed, however.

Vibriosis and norovirus are common ailments associated with eating raw shellfish.

Image via Pixabay