Young Girl Hospitalised With Acute Kidney Failure After Eating Kofta At California Restaurant

A California family has filed a lawsuit against restaurant chain The Kebab Shop and its meat supplier after a young girl allegedly developed severe complications linked to an E. coli infection following a meal at one of the chain’s outlets.

According to reports, the incident occurred after the child ate part of a meal containing chicken and beef kofta at a Costa Mesa outlet on March 28. Soon after the meal, she reportedly began suffering from nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Her condition deteriorated over the following days, forcing her parents to seek emergency medical treatment.

Doctors later diagnosed the child with acute kidney failure and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially life-threatening condition commonly associated with E. coli infections. She remained hospitalised for more than two weeks and underwent intensive treatment before being discharged.

The lawsuit, filed by her father Jeffrey Gogue in Orange County, alleges that the restaurant and supplier Olympia Foods failed to ensure food safety and sold contaminated products. The family claims the child may face long-term health complications because of severe kidney damage.

Meanwhile, health authorities are investigating a wider E. coli outbreak connected to kofta served at The Kebab Shop. Federal and California health agencies have identified at least nine related illnesses, several involving children, with multiple hospitalisations reported.

Investigations into the source and extent of the contamination are still underway, while the allegations made in the lawsuit have not yet been proven in court.