Health officials have concluded their investigation into a norovirus outbreak connected to a McDonald’s restaurant in Kirkland, Washington. The outbreak, which affected three customers who dined at the location between October 23 and October 26, 2024, has now been resolved.
Two of the affected customers tested positive for norovirus, a highly contagious virus known for causing gastroenteritis. The infected individuals had no connection to each other, with their symptoms beginning between October 25 and October 26. None of the cases required hospitalization and no fatalities were reported.
King County Public Health officials launched their investigation after receiving reports of illness on October 29. Through interviews with the affected customers, investigators determined that their only common link was consuming food from this specific McDonald’s location. Upon inspection of the restaurant, health officials found no evidence of sick employees, and the facility maintained a “Good” inspection rating.
The investigation included two separate visits by health officials. The initial inspection on October 29 revealed no unsafe food handling practices that could have contributed to norovirus transmission, such as improper handwashing or bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.
During a follow-up visit on November 1, health authorities instructed the restaurant management to implement thorough norovirus cleaning protocols and perform a comprehensive deep cleaning of the facility.
As part of preventive measures, health officials provided additional education to restaurant management about norovirus prevention strategies, emphasizing the importance of proper handwashing techniques and reinforcing the policy prohibiting sick employees from working until they have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours.
Norovirus is particularly challenging to control due to its ability to spread rapidly through multiple channels, including contaminated food, surfaces, and person-to-person contact. Adding to the complexity of prevention, infected individuals can be contagious even before they show symptoms, or may experience only mild symptoms while still being able to transmit the virus.
In recent weeks, McDonald’s has featured heavily in the news over a large-scale E. coli outbreak linked to contaminated slivered onions that has led to the hospitalization of 90 people and one death.
Commenting on this article, one national norovirus lawyer said, “The investigation by local health officials highlights the importance of maintaining strict food safety protocols in any food service business. While the exact source of the contamination is unknown, the response by health investigators and cooperation from restaurant management likely helped prevent further spread of the virus.”
