2026 Outbreak of Gastrointestinal Illnesses Associated with Sushi%AYCE/All You Can Eat, Seattle, Washington
In May 2026, Public Health Seattle King County (PHSKC) investigated an outbreak of gastrointestinal (stomach) illnesses associated with Sushi%AYCE/All You Can Eat in Seattle. A specific food or drink item that might have caused the illnesses was not identified.
Seven people reported becoming sick after eating at the restaurant on May 16. They reported symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, chills, body aches, fever, and headache. No one was hospitalized and no one died. There was no laboratory testing. There were no ill food handlers.
On June 10, 2026, PHSKC investigators visited the restaurant and found food safety problems that may have contributed to the outbreak.
- Workers were not washing their hands or changing gloves correctly when switching between raw foods and ready-to-eat foods.
- One handwashing station had no hot water, and others were missing basic supplies like paper towels.
- There was no sanitizer ready for use in the food preparation or dishwashing areas.
- Utensils and surfaces used to prepare food were not being cleaned properly.
- Ready‑to‑eat fruits and vegetables were cut and served without being washed first.
- Ready‑to‑eat foods were stored without date labels, so staff couldn’t tell how long items had been kept or when they needed to be thrown out.
PHSKC provided education on how to fix these issues. At a follow-up inspection on June 22, all these food safety problems had been corrected.
Overview
| Outbreak began: | May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Affected country: | US |
| States/territories: | WA |
| Pathogen: | Gastrointestinal illness, not specified |
| Vehicle(s): | Unknown |
| Location(s): | Restaurant |
| Brand name(s): | Sushi%AYCE/All You Can Eat |
| Molecular test results: | Not reported |
Health impact
| Total ill: | 3 |
|---|
Sources & documents
| Report / reference links | ||
|---|---|---|