E. Coli Outbreak Linked To San Diego-Based The Kebab Shop Sickens Multiple Californians, Including Children; Severe Kidney Complications Reported

California health officials are warning the public after a dangerous E. coli outbreak tied to beef served at San Diego-based The Kebab Shop restaurant chain sickened at least nine people across the state, hospitalized five individuals, and caused two cases of a potentially life-threatening kidney complication that disproportionately affects children.

According to the California Department of Public Health, the outbreak has been linked to grilled beef kofta sold at The Kebab Shop locations throughout California. Illness onset dates range from March 27 through April 30, and officials confirmed that six of the nine infected individuals are children.

On Thursday afternoon, San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency issued an additional public warning urging anyone who ate at The Kebab Shop between March 27 and April 30 and later developed stomach illness symptoms to seek medical attention immediately.

The outbreak involves Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, commonly abbreviated as STEC, one of the most dangerous categories of foodborne bacterial infections in the United States. Unlike many routine cases of food poisoning that cause temporary gastrointestinal discomfort, STEC infections can rapidly escalate into severe internal complications capable of causing permanent organ damage or death, particularly among children, elderly individuals, and people with compromised immune systems.

Health officials say five people have already required hospitalization, while two developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, a severe complication that can cause acute kidney failure, anemia, neurological problems, seizures, strokes, and in some cases permanent kidney damage requiring lifelong dialysis or transplant care.

The bacteria behind STEC outbreaks produce Shiga toxins, dangerous compounds capable of damaging blood vessels and attacking the kidneys. Symptoms often begin with severe stomach cramps, vomiting, fever, and diarrhea that may become bloody within several days. While many patients recover, some infections can deteriorate suddenly and catastrophically.

Public health experts have long considered E. coli O157:H7 and related STEC strains among the most feared foodborne pathogens because of how little contamination is required to infect someone and how devastating the consequences can become. The organism gained national notoriety following the 1993 Jack in the Box outbreak centered in the western United States, which killed four children and sickened more than 700 people after undercooked hamburgers contaminated with E. coli were served at restaurants, including locations in San Diego County. That outbreak fundamentally changed American food safety regulations and transformed how restaurants cook and handle ground beef.

Unlike intact cuts of meat, ground beef products present elevated risk because bacteria present on the surface can become distributed throughout the product during grinding. Beef kofta, which consists of seasoned ground beef formed around skewers or into elongated meat portions, falls into the same higher-risk category when contaminated product enters the supply chain.

Officials say interviews conducted with infected individuals pointed investigators toward grilled beef kofta sold at The Kebab Shop as the likely outbreak source. In response, the San Diego-founded Mediterranean fast-casual chain voluntarily halted all sales of beef kofta nationwide on May 18 after the California Department of Public Health identified the product as a possible source of contamination.

The company stated that no other proteins sold at its restaurants are believed connected to the outbreak and emphasized that restaurants inspected during the investigation were found compliant with health and safety regulations.

“At The Kebab Shop (TKS), the health and safety of our guests, our team members, and our communities are at the heart of everything we do,” the company said in a statement posted to its website.

Health officials currently believe the exposure risk is no longer ongoing because the implicated beef product was distributed exclusively to The Kebab Shop locations and sales have been suspended. However, authorities continue monitoring for additional illnesses because STEC symptoms can take several days to appear and some cases may not yet have been formally diagnosed.

The outbreak has drawn particular concern because of the unusually high severity rate already associated with the known infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only a fraction of E. coli infections typically progress to hemolytic uremic syndrome, making the fact that two of the nine known California cases reportedly developed HUS especially alarming.

The Kebab Shop was founded in San Diego in 2007 and has expanded significantly throughout California and several western states over the past decade. The company operates multiple locations across Southern California, including restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego County.

Consumers who ate at The Kebab Shop between late March and late April and later developed symptoms including severe stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, or bloody stool are being urged to seek medical care immediately and inform healthcare providers about the possible exposure. Antibiotics are generally not recommended for STEC infections because some treatments may actually increase the risk of kidney complications developing.

The California Department of Public Health, local county health agencies, and federal investigators continue investigating the outbreak and tracing the source of the contaminated beef product.

Originally published on May 22, 2026.