Protecting families from contaminated food and water
All fields are required
Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Our Blog,Outbreaks & Recalls,Vibrio on October 1, 2025
A case of Vibrio at Lam’s Seafood Asian Market in Seattle has the King County Public Health Department warning residents.
While the warmer months are coming to a close, raw oysters are still vulnerable to foodborne pathogens. Vibrio, norovirus, and others.
Here’s what we know so far about Vibrio at Lam’s Seafood Asian Market.
Lam’s Seafood Asian Market is a local grocery store specializing in Asian and Filipino food items. Their specialty, as the name implies, is seafood. Primarily from along the Washington coast and Alaska, according to their website.
Lam’s Seafood Asian Market
1221 S. King St., Seattle, Washington 98144
A person purchased lived blue crabs from Lam’s Seafood Asian Market in Seattle (1221 S. King Street). The crabs were cooked and “ate at home” on June 30, 2025. On July 1, 2025, their illness started.
The individual reported intestinal illness with diarrhea and stomach pain. Samples revealed their illness was caused by two types of Vibrio bacteria. Vibrio fluvialis and the most well-known Vibrio vulnificus.
This individual has fully recovered.
However, the discovery prompted a King County Public Health investigation.
An outbreak, by definition, involves two or more people becoming sick from the same contaminated food or drink. With only one reported illness, this situation could not be considered an outbreak.
King County Public Health decided it would be helpful to share this information with their residents to help people stay “healthy and informed.”
This is primarily “because Vibrio vulnificus can cause severe or even life-threatening infection.”
In response, Public Health performed a site visit at Lam’s Seafood Asian Market.
On July 15, 2025, King County Public Health visited Lam’s Seafood Asian Market. Several food safety issues were identified that may have contributed to the spread of Vibrio bacteria and the illness experienced by the customer.
Specific findings include:
Upon their return on July 29, 2025, King County Public Health recognized that while many of the above problems have been fixed, there is still more work to be done.
The Department says they are “continuing to work with Lam’s Seafood Market to improve food safety.”
According to the report, there have been no other cases of Vibrio illness associated with Lam’s Seafood Asian Market to date.
King County Public Health continues to work with Lam’s Seafood Asian Market and others to help prevent further illnesses.
Reported illnesses involving raw oysters in King County have been sporadic this year. Consisting of a single case at a time. Mostly occurring in the first two weeks of January and mostly involving norovirus.
In fact, all previously reported illnesses associated with raw oysters this year have involved norovirus. Another common pathogen often associated with this risky food. At least seven of these cases have been on the County’s radar so far.
Vibrio vulnificus, or more commonly referred to as Vibrio or flesh-eating bacteria, is a potentially deadly and opportunistic bacteria often found in low-salinity waters. It can be found in certain areas of the ocean. However, brackish water is more common.
Brackish water is where salt water and freshwater meet, creating a still salty, but low salinity cocktail.
People can become sick from Vibrio infections in two ways.
Wound exposure, and consuming food contaminated with the bacteria. There is no evidence to suggest that person-to-person transmission of Vibrio is common.
Vibrio vulnificus can thrive in warm sea water. If present, this bacteria can enter the bloodstream of people with open wounds.
Never swim with open cuts, wounds, or even scratches. Especially during peak Vibrio season.
Contact with raw shellfish (processing, cooking, or handling it) can also cause wound infections.
Another common way people become sick with Vibrio infections is by consuming raw shellfish. Especially oysters. As the illness reported involved gastrointestinal symptoms, this was the likely route of infection.
Symptoms of food poisoning caused by Vibrio from contaminated raw oysters involve digestive and flu-like symptoms.
Common gastrointestinal symptoms include:
Wound infections are typically topical.
Common wound infection symptoms include:
Once Vibrio enters the bloodstream, it can become deadly.
Common symptoms of bloodstream Vibrio infections include:
While it may be rare, Vibrio bacterial infections are very serious. What should you do if you become infected with Vibrio from Lam’s Seafood Asian Market or another food supplier?
If you feel you have become sick from eating food contaminated with Vibrio vulnificus, or have an infected wound, seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms progress rapidly and can go from bad to worse very quickly.
Notify your healthcare provider that you may have been infected with Vibrio to facilitate faster diagnosis and specialized treatment.
If you have become sick with a Vibrio infection, your local health department will likely interview you to help determine the cause of your illness.
Have you had contact with salt or brackish water? Have you come into contact with raw seafood?
What foods have you consumed in the weeks prior to becoming sick?
Make this list as early as you feel able to. The sooner you make the list, the more complete it will likely be. Your experience may point to a source of illness that impacts others.
If you became infected with Vibrio bacteria from eating contaminated or undercooked food, you may want to seek advice from a Vibrio lawyer. An experienced Vibrio lawyer can go over the details of your case to determine if you have a legal case.
Becoming sick with a Vibrio infection can be scary. The illness can rapidly escalate to life-threatening. Medical bills, lost wages, and other burdens associated with this foodborne illness add up.
The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has helped people in situations just like yours recover millions of dollars in food poisoning and product liability cases. They can help you too!
Contact the Vibrio lawyers at The Lange Law Firm, PLLC at (833) 330-3663 or click here for a free consultation.
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)