‘I Thought I Was Going To Die’: More Than 100 Illnesses Linked to Sushi Restaurant 

A popular North Carolina sushi restaurant is at the center of more than 100 food poisoning cases.

Sushi Nine, in Raleigh, was closed for two days after the spate of illnesses. It has since reopened, though Wake County Environmental Services investigates complaints including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, WRAL reports. 

Lisa Fatfat, co-owner of Sushi Nine, told the outlet that the restaurant closed because “we prioritize the safety of our patrons and the community” and that the eatery has “taken proactive steps to address recent reports of alleged food poison.” 

“We are conducting a thorough deep clean and inspection of our restaurant,” she said. “Our team is cooperating fully with local health officials."

The first case was reported on Nov. 30. Kevin Koewler told local news that after a dinner at Sushi Nine he "woke up in the middle of the night and I was sicker than a dog. I thought I was going to die."

Investigators with Wake County Environmental Services told WRAL they haven’t yet determined what’s caused the illnesses, but that food storage and preparation, and norovirus are being looked into. 

"The nausea, vomiting and diarrhea symptoms are in line with norovirus symptoms,” Ashley Whittington with Wake County Environmental Services, said, adding that “there's always a concern, especially this time of year, that there was a customer or employee that was possibly shedding the virus and symptoms and that may have led to contamination on surfaces in the restaurant."

About 40 percent of food poisoning outbreaks are caused by sick workers, according to the Centers for Disease Control in a report  issued earlier this year.

The county received its first complaint of food-borne illness related to the restaurant on Dec. 1. With many more reports in the next few days, county employees recommended that the restaurant temporarily close – which it did on Dec. 5 and 6. 

The county approved its reopening on Dec. 7. 

Austin Freels ate at Sushi Nine with friends and family before his wedding, and became so ill with abdominal pain he went to an emergency room..

“I went to get a CT scan on my stomach and they said it was one of the most severe cases of food poisoning they had seen," Freels told WRAL, noting that a week later he can “barely still eat.”