Patrons of Dave’s Sushi, who ate at the establishment between March 31 and April 17th, may have been exposed to a deadly pathogen – as yet unidentified – but possibly in the Morel Mushrooms it served. The restaurant has released a statement:
“Upon being contacted by guests on Mon, April 17 about a potential issue, we stopped serving the morel mushrooms which were a specialty food item not on our regular menu and contacted the Gallatin City-County Health Department.”
While not certain, the mushrooms were served only at Dave’s in Montana – the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) stated: “The DPHHS investigation has determined that the morel mushrooms served at the restaurant were not distributed to any other restaurants or businesses in Montana. The mushrooms were cultivated in China, shipped to a distributor in California, and subsequently sent to multiple states. There are no known associated illnesses in other states identified at this time.”
As of date, two patrons have passed away due to the exposure, and as many as 30 have become ill – some have required hospitalization. The victims all seem to have become ill within a half hour (30 minutes) to four and one half hours (270 minutes) after consumption of the sushi served with the specialty item Morel Mushrooms.