Shigella Cases Spreading Beyond Those Who Ate at Restaurant

Nearly 100 people have fallen ill after eating a Mexican restaurant in San Jose and 24 people have been found with Shigella, a contagious diarrhoeal disease, Santa Clara County public health officials announced today.

There are 93 cases are connected with Mariscos San Juan restaurant #3 at 205 N. Fourth St., which has been closed since Sunday morning, county deputy health officer Dr. George Han said during a news briefing this morning.

The number has increased from 80 cases that were reported Tuesday, public health officials said.

Laboratory tests have confirmed 24 of the cases are Shigella and the county is continuing to receive results to find out if others have the disease, Han said.

Most of the dozen people who were sent to an intensive care unit have either been discharged or moved to another part of the hospitals where they’re being treated, he said.

A majority of the cases involve people who ate at the restaurant on Friday or Saturday and required hospitalization, according to Han.

Public health officials are also receiving reports of secondary infections linked with the restaurant but Han did not have numbers on those cases.

Santa Cruz County is also investigating five suspected cases of Shigella that were reported Monday, county health officer Dr. Lisa Fernandez said.

Han stressed the importance of hand washing with soap and water to prevent the spread of Shigella.

Investigators are still looking into how the outbreak started.

In the past Shigella has spread through an ill food handler who partially or didn’t wash their hands after using the bathroom, Han said.

Symptoms of the disease include sudden onset of diarrhea that in some cases contain blood, abdominal pain, fever and vomiting, he said. People can be come infected with a small amount of Shigella bacteria, Han said.

Michael Balliet, director of the consumer protection division at the Department of Environmental Health, called on the food facility managers to discuss proper hygiene with employees and to make sure any sick workers stay off the job.

Before the restaurant can reopen, the county has to complete its investigation into the outbreak and follow protocol including decontaminating the eatery and making sure all employees are symptom-free, Balliet said.

--Bay City News