Up to 128 people now sickened by sushi from 2 NC Harris Teeters, health officials say

At least 128 people in 85 households have been sickened by sushi sold at AFC sushi bars in two Harris Teeter grocery stores in Concord, Cabarrus County health officials said Tuesday.

Those people either have recovered or remained ill as of Tuesday morning, according to a news release by Cabarrus Health Alliance, the county health department.

Communicable disease workers from the alliance planned to begin working with N.C.-based LabCorp on Tuesday afternoon to collect samples from some of the sick customers, health officials said in the release.

Last week, health officials reported knowing of at least 10 people who were vomiting and experiencing other symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, muscle aches and abdominal cramps after eating sushi from “third-party” AFC sushi bars at the Harris Teeters, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

The stores are at 358 George W. Liles Parkway NW and 1245 Concord Parkway North.

Harris Teeter used loyalty card transaction data to identify and contact 429 households that bought sushi at the kiosks between Friday, Nov. 13, and Thursday, Nov. 19, according to a previous health department news release. Those are the dates that people who fell ill bought sushi there.

Anyone else who bought sushi at the kiosks those days should throw it away, Chrystal Swinger, Cabarrus Health Alliance environmental health director, said in last week’s alert.

“Committed to the quality of its products and the safety of its customers, Harris Teeter removed and discarded all sushi products from the two stores,” Danna Robinson, Harris Teeter communication manager, said in that alert.

“The departments have undergone a thorough deep cleaning and sanitation,” Robinson said in the statement. “We have re-opened following inspection and approval by Cabarrus Health Alliance.”

Robinson and AFC officials have not responded to requests for comment by the Observer since Saturday.

AFC is short for Advanced Fresh Concepts Franchise Corp. The California-based company franchises the sushi bars.

If you feel sick

Anyone who’s sick from the sushi should drink fluids and seek medical attention if their condition fails to improve in a day, according to the alliance, which is Cabarrus County’s health department.

If you visit your doctor, ask for a stool sample to identify the pathogen, health officials said in the alert.

Health officials have yet to release the illness suspected of causing the symptoms or other details involving the kiosk food.

Anyone with symptoms also should call the Cabarrus Health Alliance environmental health department at 704-920-1207, according to the alert.