Health Department closes Matador due to E.coli scare

King County Public Health have confirmed that at least ten people have come down with the same strain of E. coli bacteria and six of those cases are confirmed to be linked to the Matador restaurant here in Ballard.

According to a Seattle PI report, five more cases were reported after health officials announced last Friday that five people were sickened after eating at the Matador in late August.

“It’s a lot of sleepless nights for sure. It’s very disappointing. It’s concerning to think that we violated some sort of trust or confidence in the community,” Tom Small, chief culinary chef for Opper Melang Restaurants, told Seattle PI.

According to King County Public Heath, the new cases include people who do not live in King County and three who live out of Washington State. It has been confirmed that one of the out-of-state cases ate a meal at the Matador in late August or early September.

King County Health does not believe that the outbreak is ongoing.

The Seattle PI report confirms that officials are continuing to collect information from those who became sick, and is working with the State Health Department to gather information on the new cases.

The Matador continues to remain closed while the Health Department investigates the cause and source of the contamination. Officials have confirmed that this specific strain of E.coli has not yet been seen here in Washington state.

“We’re doing everything we can as we’re closed. We’re going through the kitchen and making sure that we’re cleaning everything the very best we can. We care about the community and want to make sure there’s no chance that there’s anything that we may do ongoing that may be a concern to anybody,” says Small.

The Health Department encourages anyone who has eaten at the Matador and developed diarrhea within 10 days of the visit to consult with their healthcare provider to determine if E. coli testing is necessary.