Washington State’s Seattle-King County Department of Public Health is investigating an outbreak of gastroenteritis with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea associated with the trendy Wild Ginger restaurant in Bellevue, WA.

Public Health learned on Dec. 26 of 5 ill persons from one party of diners who became ill after consuming food and beverage from the restaurant on Dec. 22.  The agency has since identified 4 employees who experienced similar symptoms as early as Dec. 21.

According to health authorities, they do not have laboratory confirmation of the pathogen responsible for the illness, but symptoms are suggestive of norovirus. Often in norovirus outbreaks, no laboratory testing is done. The exact food or drink item that caused the illness has not been identified, though this is not uncommon for norovirus outbreaks wher multiple food items may be contaminated.