12 September 2023 , 01:05
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Chaos ensued at a children's birthday party in New York after apparent food poisoning made over 20 people unwell with some "projectile vomiting."
"It was one other group that was there before us — they were vomiting first in the bathroom," mum Ariel Arias said. "So the girls were telling me they thought that the lady, [who] was vomiting all over, had a stomach virus, and the girls were getting nervous."
Suffolk County health officials said a dozen people became ill at a table separate from the birthday party and this included a pregnant woman and someone in her 90s. A total of 15 alleged violations were cited by health officials and an investigation is ongoing.
Ariel said health investigators informed her the restaurant's fridge could have been damaged at some point. Around 28 people reported some symptoms, while 12 people had to be taken to a hospital nearby.
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A lawyer has said bacillus cereus could be the culprit (Getty Images/iStockphoto)People originally suspected the problem was some type of raw meat or fish, but the mother of the birthday girl now thinks it is the rice that was eaten at the Kumo Sushi and Steakhouse in Long Island.
"The common denominator seemed to be the rice," Arial Arias told Fox News Digital "The girls ordered different meals — chicken, beef, vegetables — but they all came with rice."
Ariel, who said her daughter had trouble eating since the incident, added: "We didn't get sick from the sushi — they all got sick from the hibachi. It was like the opposite of what you would have thought."
A bacteria called bacillus cereus is being cited as the possible culprit behind the illnesses. Lawyer Jory Lange told Fox his office was conducting its own investigation and the fact that all of the victims appeared to have rice pointed towards a particular type of bacteria.
"That really, really short timeframe, less than an hour, combined with the fact that the health department is concerned about how cooked rice was stored, really point towards a bug called bacillus cereus," he said.
Ariel said she felt some guilt over the incident because her daughter originally asked if they could go to an Italian restaurant instead, but she said no because Kumo was more of "an experience."
"It's so much more fun," she said. "I kind of forced her into it — so I have so much guilt that she didn't even want to do it there. And this happened."
The Suffolk County Executive’s office said in an emailed statement that at least 28 individuals reported symptoms and 12 people were treated at Stony Brook University Hospital. The patients were released within hours and none stayed overnight.
“The Suffolk County Department of Health Services issued approximately 15 violations to Kumo Sushi & Steakhouse in Stony Brook, including eight for food-borne illness risk factors,” the statement said.
Suffolk Police confirmed that no arrests were made in connection to the incident.
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“Corrective actions have been taken related to the violations and the restaurant is now reopen,” Suffolk County Executive’s office said.
John P. Ruggiero, the attorney for the owners of Kumo, told Long Island News that there were no issues found with regard to refrigeration at the restaurant and no one was arrested.
“While the owners of this long standing local business take these matters very seriously, it is unfortunate that much of the online/social media speculation is simply untrue,” Ruggiero said in an email. “The fact of the matter is that the health department conducted a thorough review and inspection of the restaurant within an hour of the incident.”
He said the inspectors were at the location for four and a half hours and “inspected every aspect of the kitchen and its food-handling.
“They found all refrigeration in good working condition,” he said.
Ruggiero said that the cooked hibachi rice was not being rapidly cooled in accordance with Suffolk County Department of Health guidelines - but that a new procedure was immediately implemented.
Restaurant owners Tony and Bobby Lam said they were working closely with health officials and hope to regain the trust of their customers.
"At Kumo restaurant, we consider our patrons an extension of our family, and your wellbeing remains our top priority," they said. "We are committed to learning from this incident, enhancing our practices, and ensuring that every visit to Kumo is not just a meal but a memorable and safe experience."