Texas-based restaurant chain Pasha Mediterranean Grill is facing a lawsuit over a food poisoning outbreak linked to its location in San Antonio. The San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department reported that more than 300 cases related to illnesses were linked to the restaurant, with almost a dozen victims hospitalised. National food safety law firm Ron Simon & Associates has filed the class action against the restaurant chain in Bexar County on behalf of victim Samuel Manago. Manago consumed a beef shawarma plate at Pasha Mediterranean Grill on 31 August and was hospitalised for several days. He is currently undergoing medical treatment. “We will find out how Pasha Mediterranean Grill failed and make sure that the restaurant does not harm others in the future.” Ron Simon & Associates lead attorney Ron Simon said: “It is very unfortunate that hundreds of San Antonio residents have become ill from what should have been a completely preventable food safety failure. “Through this lawsuit and many others, we will find out how Pasha Mediterranean Grill failed and make sure that the restaurant does not harm others in the future.” Health inspectors conducted an inspection at the restaurant on 3 September and found that at least two employees had been sick with fever and diarrhoea. The food was not being held at proper temperatures to prevent bacterial growth. They also identified that food handlers wore the same gloves without changing them or not washing their hands between tasks. In another inspection, authorities identified that the restaurant had not employed people with supervisory responsibility to direct and control food preparation. There is also no designated hand-washing sink and there are no signs displayed in restrooms to remind employees to wash their hands.<doc-sep>Pasha co-owner Kamran Vandi said Metro Health officials told him they suspect hummus is the source of the outbreak, but said he doesn't know how chickpeas could be contaminated. Metro Health officials told the San Antonio Express-News late Friday afternoon that the source of the illness has not yet been identified since they are still in the early phases of the investigation. "We always take every precaution to ensure our food is prepped, stored and contained properly," Pasha Director of Operations Bill Deiri said in an email. "In the 10 years we have been in business, we have never had anything like this happen and are incredibly committed to making sure it never does again. The reported illnesses were all isolated to the location at 9339 Wurzbach (Road) and we have proactively been in touch with the health department and are continuing to work with them to identify what happened and how to do better on these situations." RELATED: Lowest scores on San Antonio restaurant inspections: September 7, 2018 Metro Health reported that they have received 301 phone calls about the Pasha investigation as of 4 p.m. Friday. Most of those calls — 255 — were linked to the outbreak and came from people who said they became sick after dining at the Pasha location on Wurzbach. Fourteen of those showed laboratory evidence of salmonella and 12 had been hospitalized as of Sept. 7 at 4 p.m., officials said. The reports first began surfacing shortly after the holiday weekend and have continued to grow in the days since. Early Thursday morning, Pasha reported more than 60 sickened, and they reported nearly 200 calls Thursday evening. Common symptoms of foodborne diseases include diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps and vomiting, but symptoms may vary by person. They may take one to two days to appear, following a contaminated meal. Metro Health encouraged recent Pasha customers with any symptoms to speak with health officials. In order to prevent gastrointestinal illness, Metro Health recommended following proper hand-washing techniques, including washing hands before eating or preparing food, while caring for sick people, and after using the restroom or changing diapers. S. M. Chavey is a staff writer for mySA.com. Read more of her stories here. | sarah.chavey@express-news.net | 210-250-3122 | Twitter: @smchavey Peggy O’Hare is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: @Peggy_OHare<doc-sep>255 people have reported getting sick after eating at the restaurant over Labor Day weekend, health officials confirmed Friday. SAN ANTONIO — The number of people sick from a reported foodborne illness at Pasha Mediterranean Grill on Wurzbach Road during the past Labor Day weekend has risen to 255, according to Metro Health spokesperson Carol Schliesinger. Metro Health also said that twelve people were hospitalized and fourteen confirmed tests for Salmonella. Pasha's Director of Operations, Bilal Deiri, said Thursday that they are reaching out to those who got sick. Ashleigh Tatarcyk ate there last week. She's just getting better now, and has spent more than a thousand dollars in medical bills. The customer didn't have health insurance yet, after moving here from Maine. "They gave me antibiotics," she said. "They put me on IVs. They put me through x-rays on my stomach and they realized that I had food poisoning turned into colitis, which is inflammation of the intestines." Deiri said in the ten years the restaurants have been around, nothing like this has happened. "We are going over procedures with the health department," he said. "If we weren't showing we were compliant or doing things we need to do, they would have closed us, he said. "So, we are doing everything we need to do. we are still selling quality food, and we are going to find out what happened, and do what we can to make things right." Common symptoms of foodborne diseases reportedly include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. However, Metro Health said symptoms may differ among the different types of foodborne diseases. Health officials encourage anyone who recently ate at the restaurant and is experiencing symptoms to seek medical attention. The restaurant is cooperating fully in the investigation, and Metro Health said staff is working with the restaurant to ensure all precautions are being taken to prevent any further illnesses. "The best way to prevent general gastrointestinal illness is to practice proper hand-washing, especially after using the restroom, changing diapers, before eating and preparing food, and when caring for a sick person," Metro Health said in a statement.<doc-sep>
More than 60 people have reported symptoms of foodborne illness after eating at Pasha Mediterranean Grill on Wurzbach Road last weekend, according to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. The complaints were independently reported by numerous people who ate at the restaurant over Labor Day Weekend, health officials said in a news release. Pasha officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Metro Health is investigating the restaurant, which is cooperating fully, officials said. The restaurant and Metro Health staff are working together on precautionary measures to prevent any further sickness. RELATED: San Antonio's cleanest restaurants: Perfect health inspections for August 2018 Common symptoms of foodborne diseases include diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps and vomiting, but symptoms may vary by person. Metro Health encouraged recent Pasha customers with any symptoms to speak with health officials. In order to prevent gastrointestinal illness, Metro Health recommended following proper hand-washing techniques, including washing hands before eating or preparing food, while caring for sick people, and after using the restroom or changing diapers. The last time Metro Health inspected Pasha in May 2018, the restaurant received a score of 78 out of 100. Some violations included black residue in the ice machine, lack of a certified food protection manager, food kept without expiration dates, hand-washing water that was too cold and a failure to state "employees must wash hands" in the restrooms. Prior to that inspection, Pasha had received scores of 90 or higher on all inspections since 2014. S. M. Chavey is a staff writer for mySA.com. Read more of her stories here. | sarah.chavey@express-news.net | 210-250-3122 | Twitter: @smchavey