Food poisoning outbreak at luxury restaurant leaves 4 people seriously ill with sepsis

Food poisoning is one of the worst outcomes from eating out, but things took a particularly devastating turn for diners in Stockholm.

Four people who have eaten at a luxury restaurant in Stockholm have been taken ill with sepsis following a suspected listeria outbreak.

Diners who ate at at Coco & Carmen, a high-end restaurant in the Swedish capital's Östermalm district, fell ill after visiting, with authorities stating that 15 people have been affected.

Whilst many of those taken ill have not been seriously affected and none admitted into hospital have needed intensive care, the infection tracing is still ongoing.

The Coco & Carmen restaurant has temporarily closed (Google Maps)

The restaurant said in a statement, as reported by the BBC, that it hopes to reopen on 7 October.

The statement read: "We take this extremely seriously and as the well-being of our guests is our top priority, we have voluntarily closed until further notice."

The regional authority confirmed that infection tracing, initially covering guests who ate at the restaurant between 25 and 27 September, had since been widened to include people who dined there from 23 and 24 September.

Maria Rotzén Östlund, an infectious disease physician, told state broadcaster SVT: "Those with ongoing symptoms such as fever, vomiting or diarrhoea are now recommended to visit a hospital emergency room for assessment."

Joakim Almquist, the chef and co-owner, told SVT: "The only thing I can do is sincerely apologise, because I suffer with these people."

Regional health officials have also issued a warning in a press release that 'a large number of people may have been infected'.

They also emphasised that listeria is particularly harmful to pregnant women and people who are 65 or older, or those who have weakened immune systems. Listeria also has the possibility that it can spread from the gut to other parts of their body, resulting in a severe condition known as invasive listeriosis.

For pregnant women, listeria has been linked to pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in newborns. For those older or with weakened immunity, contracting listeria can result in hospitalisation and sometimes death.

Listeria can be harmful for pregnant women and older people (Getty Images/RUSLANAS BARANAUSKAS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)

Symptoms of listeria can start within two weeks of eating contaminated food, but can start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after. Notable symptoms include headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, as well as fever, muscle aches, and tiredness.

Medical advice is needed, so call a healthcare provider right away if you have these symptoms after eating the affected foods.

If you think you may have contaminated food or have come into contact with listeria, then it goes without saying not to eat the food that is potentially affected. It's also advised to clean your refrigerator, containers, and surfaces that may have touched it, as listeria can survive in the refrigerator and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.