Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Restaurant’s sushi roll blamed for poisoning 41 and killing 2

The fatal victims ordered the “special roll,” which contained salmon and morel mushrooms

Andrea Blanco
Saturday 13 May 2023 12:39 BST
Comments
Related: The food items that have been recalled for being poisonous

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Two people died and more than 40 others contracted a possible foodborne illness after eating at a sushi restaurant in Montana.

Sixty-four-year-old Donna Ventura and 74-year-old William Lewis died after dining on 17 April at the now-closed Dave’s Sushi restaurant in Bozeman. The victims ordered the “special roll,” which contained salmon and morel mushrooms, local news station KBZK reported.

Following an investigation by the FDA and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, it was determined that the morel mushrooms served at the restaurant were cultivated in China, shipped to a distributor in California, and then sent to multiple states. At this time, no other states have reported outbreaks.

Ventura was taken to the Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center on the day she ate at the restaurant after collapsing at her home. She went into cardiac arrest and experienced organ failure, ultimately dying 13 days after dining at Dave’s Sushi.

Ventura’s husband has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the restaurant, which plans to reopen later in May.

Meanwhile, Lewis died the morning after his visit to the establishment.

The restaurant was closed on 21 April after receiving several complaints that customers had experienced food poisoning.

“We understand that several of our customers who dined with us on Monday, April 17, 2023 became ill,” the restaurant said in a statement at the time. “We believe that the common ingredient that may have been consumed was FDA-approved, cultured, morel mushrooms used in Monday’s special roll.”

Earlier this month, the Gallatin City-County Health Department said that three other individuals had experienced severe symptoms and had to be treated at the hospital. An 18 April inspection found the restaurant had four violations.

An investigation is underway to officially determine what caused the deaths, although health officials have noted that it may be impossible to do so with certainty.

Authorities have said the restaurant has cooperated with the investigation. The establishment also said it hired a sanitarian consultant to evaluate the circumstances surrounding the outbreak.

The Independent has reached out to Dave’s Sushi and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in