UPDATE: 13 people infected with E. coli traced to food vendor that frequented farmers markets | Alleged link to bacteria, Los Chilangos, re-opens

Six cases were reported early last week; as public health officials continue investigating the outbreak, they expected to find others infected before the alleged link to the outbreak, the Bellevue-based food truck Los Chilangos, was closed Aug. 21.

As of Tuesday, 13 people are affected by an E. coli outbreak that was linked to a local Mexican food vendor in August.

Six cases were reported early last week; public health officials expected to find others infected as they continued investigating the outbreak.

“These people are not newly ill, but rather people who were unable to be reached during our initial interview process,” Lindsay Bosslet, a public information officer for Public Health — Seattle and King County, wrote in a statement.

No one reported becoming ill after Aug. 21, which was when Public Health closed the Bellevue-based food truck, and alleged link to the outbreak, Los Chilangos.

As of Sept. 2, the food vendor re-opened.

On Aug. 27, Public Health closed the shared kitchen space, Eastside Commercial Kitchen in Bellevue, which Los Chilangos and several other vendors had used to prepare food.

The kitchen re-opened Sept. 4.

“We are currently working with all of the businesses connected to this outbreak to make sure that they are not using any products that may have become contaminated and that they have food safety measures in place,” Bosslet wrote. “Though Los Chilangos has been linked to this outbreak, they deserve credit for their dutiful cooperation during our investigation. No food vendor wants to make people sick, and we know everyone is very concerned about the people who have become ill.”

Los Chilangos had frequented the Sammamish and Issaquah farmers markets earlier this summer.

The last time it was at the Issaquah Farmers Market was Aug. 15, according to the city of Issaquah’s Communications Coordinator Warren Kagarise.

It had been part of the Sammamish Farmers Market for the last five years, Sammamish Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Deb Sogge said. The last time it served food at the Sammamish event this year was Aug. 12.

The chamber, which hosts the Sammamish market, conducts regular health inspections — checking temperatures and hand-washing stations — each week, Sogge said. If those things are up to snuff, she said there’s not much more the chamber can do, especially in this case where the bacteria could have come from another source.

Sogge said the chamber will not bring the vendor back again this year, and that the group is already experimenting with other options.

“We’re being very cautious. We owe it to the public,” she said.

The Sammamish market will include The Grilled Cheese Experience on Sept. 16 and Sept. 30.

 

More information on the outbreak can be found at www.publichealthinsider.com/2015/09/01/public-health-investigates-e-coli/.