The Bulletin reports that McGrath’s Fish House in Bend, Indiana will reopen today after closing last week because of an E. coli outbreak that sickened at least three of its customers and may have caused symptoms in more than 90 people.
Health officials said that initial test results on one of the three confirmed cases of E. coli showed the local outbreak was likely linked to a recent E. coli outbreak in two restaurants and a grocery store in Washington state.
Investigators believe that parsley contaminated by E. coli bacteria caused diners to become ill, but they are still awaiting test results.
McGrath’s used parsley in its compound butters that include spices, and the garnish was chopped finely and added to a number of dishes as an accent. The restaurant will not be using parsley in any dishes.
Jim Marshall, vice president and director of operations for the chain, has thrown out close to $10,000 worth of food and had the restaurant completely disinfected twice, all while still paying employees while the restaurant was closed. All employees have tested negative for the bacteria.