Peppa’s South King Restaurant E coli Cases Prompt Closure
In Hawaii, a Notice of Permit Suspension and Order to Cease and Desist has been issued to Peppa’s South King restaurant, a Korean BBQ restaurant cited for food handling violations as part of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak investigation.
Media outlets in Honolulu are reporting that of seven victims in the Hawaii E. coli outbreak, four ate at Peppa’s Korean BBQ on South King Street in Pawaa. Hawaii Department of Health investigators found problems at the restaurant, which is now working with the agency on an intensive mitigation plan to correct permit violations.
The Honolulu Advertiser reported that the restaurant’s management will be required to attend the Sanitation Branch’s Food Safety Certification Workshop to receive training on proper food-handling practices.
Hawaii Department of Health said the seven E. coli cases were diagnosed between March 2-23 and it has reminded doctors to report any additional cases to the state. One of four victims who were hospitalized remains in serious condition.
In 5 to 15 percent of E. coli O157:H7 infections, patients develop HUS, or hemolytic uremia – a life-threatening disease that is the leading cause of kidney failure in children. But HUS is more than a kidney disease. Powerful toxins emitted by E. coli O157:H7 microbes wreak havoc in other parts of the body, too, altering brain function and sometimes leading to stroke, convulsion, coma and paralysis. A related condition, often in older adults, is known as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, or TTP.
Health officials have not pinpointed a cause for the outbreak, but consumption of contaminated meat — often undercooked ground beef — is the leading form of transmission. E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks also have been caused by contaminated raw milk, unpasteurized cider, sprouts, leafy green vegetables, other vegetables and fruits, including pineapple.
Tags: E. coli Lawsuit, HUS
