Pittsburgh Restaurant Connected To 12 Cases Of E. Coli

By Sam Lewis

Source of the illness remains undetermined

At least 12 employees and customers of The Porch restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood have been confirmed to be infected with E. coli O157:H7 by the Allegheny County Health Department. An additional nine are exhibiting symptoms of the infection but have yet to be confirmed.

The majority of people affected were ill due to eating The Porch’s hamburgers. Laboratory tests confirmed E. co li O157:H7 to be present on the restaurant’s ground beef patties. However, health officials have not been able to determine if the contaminant came into the restaurant on the beef or if the bacteria was spread through the handling of food. “The Porch has fully cooperated and assisted with the Health Department investigation and has taken appropriate steps to ensure the safety of all its employees and customers,” says Health Director Dr. Karen Hacker.

The restaurant closed its doors voluntarily when it learned of the problem on October 30. The Allegheny County Health Department approved the restaurant to reopen the following day. Every employee was subject to testing for the bacteria by the health department before returning to work. Since closing, the restaurant has not received additional reports of illness. “We absolutely feel that everything has been taken care of,” Hacker says. “We would not have allowed the restaurant to reopen if we have had not felt that.”

The outbreak hospitalized eight people, none of which had any serious complications. All affected individuals are currently recovering.  People believing they have been affected by E. coli will exhibit symptoms like severe stomach cramps and tenderness, nausea, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. They are urged to immediately seek a healthcare provider. Additionally, the Allegheny County Health Department urges those believing to have been affected by food from The Porch to have their doctor or attorney contact them.

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