Los Chilangos, a Bellevue and Seattle area food truck, has been linked to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least six people, three of whom are hospitalized. A 4-year-old has kidney failure from the toxins created by the E. coli bacteria. This complication is called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Our thoughts are with the those sickened in this outbreak and their families.
Once HUS causes renal failure, the pancreas, brain and heart often become damaged. The little ones who suffer through this often have strokes, multiple seizures, dangerously high blood pressure and other life threatening health problems.
When a child develops HUS, it is a very scary time for the family, and the little one if he or she is not in a coma or otherwise too sick to be lucid. Every owner of a restaurant, food truck or deli and their employees should be educated on what happens when a child gets HUS from an E. coli infection. They should know that one bite of contaminated food can end the life of a child.
Los Chilangos shares a food preparation facility with other vendors in Bellevue, Washington. Because of this, nine other vendors are being investigated.
Below are some results from health inspections of Los Chilangos by Seattle and King County Public Health:
- March 12, June 17 and August 28, 2015, not proper cold holding temperatures;
- June 17, 2015, utensils not properly stored;
- January 20, 2015, not adequate hand washing facilities.
Los Chilangos operates two food trucks, is at seven farmers market locations in King and Snohomish counties, and it does catering.
The illnesses occurred at the Issaquah and Sammamish farmers markets on August 8th and August 12th. Cilantro is one of the suspected food sources.
A 4-year-old girl is among those sickened.