E. Coli Outbreak Traced to SoCal Restaurant

California health officials said on May 22 that a nine-person E. coli outbreak was linked to grilled beef kofta served at several California locations of The Kebab Shop restaurant chain. The California Department of Public Health said the outbreak involves Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7, or STEC, and that illnesses began between March 27 and April 30. Five people were hospitalized and two developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that can damage the kidneys, the agency said. No deaths have been reported, and the department said the risk of ongoing exposure is not believed to be continuing because the chain paused sales of the item on May 18. ### Which restaurant and menu item were tied to the outbreak? The California Department of Public Health said interviews with people who became ill pointed to grilled beef kofta at The Kebab Shop as the likely source. The chain has locations in both Southern and Northern California, and the state said several of those restaurants are part of the investigation. (cdph.ca.gov) May 18 is the date The Kebab Shop voluntarily paused sales of grilled beef kofta at all locations, according to the state release. CDPH said the company was cooperating with local health departments and federal partners as the inquiry continued. ### How many people were sickened, and how serious were the illnesses? Nine California residents had been infected with the outbreak strain as of May 19, according to CDPH. (cdph.ca.gov) The illnesses were identified in residents across the state, and media reports citing the state said the cases included children. Five hospitalizations and two cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome were reported by the state. (cdph.ca.gov) CDPH’s local-health guidance says HUS can be life-threatening and mostly affects young children, though the agency said no deaths had been linked to this outbreak. ### How did investigators connect the cases to the restaurant chain? Interviews with ill people were central to the finding, the state said. (cdph.ca.gov) CDPH said those interviews indicated that grilled beef kofta served at The Kebab Shop was the likely outbreak source, and it described the investigation as being conducted with local health departments and federal partners. No people from other states are currently linked to the outbreak, the California release said. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it posts notices for some multistate foodborne outbreaks, but this investigation has so far been described by California as limited to state residents. ### What is STEC O157:H7, the strain named by California? (cdph.ca.gov) STEC O157:H7 is a strain of E. coli that can cause severe gastrointestinal illness, according to CDPH. The agency says symptoms can include bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever, and some infections can lead to HUS. California reports between 300 and 500 laboratory-confirmed STEC cases each year, according to a CDPH fact sheet, though the agency says the true number may be higher because some people do not seek care or submit specimens for testing. (cdph.ca.gov) ### What should customers do now? CDPH said the risk of exposure to the implicated beef kofta is not ongoing because sales were halted, but people who recently ate the item and developed symptoms should contact a healthcare provider. (cdph.ca.gov) The agency also says healthcare providers are required to report STEC infections to local health departments. California’s public health department says consumers can also report suspected foodborne illness through local health departments, which then coordinate with the state to identify and control outbreaks. (cdph.ca.gov) The department’s foodborne illness page and 2026 news releases carry updates on active state investigations. May 23 is the latest date on which the CDPH release and state outbreak pages were publicly available through the department’s 2026 news archive. (cdph.ca.gov) The next concrete step is continued investigation by CDPH, local health departments and federal partners into where the contaminated beef kofta was served and how exposure occurred. (cdph.ca.gov) (cdph.ca.gov)