October 28, 2015 — Three lawsuits have been filed and at least 188 people are sick in an outbreak of Shigella that has been traced to the Mexican seafood restaurant Mariscos San Juan in San Jose, California.
In an update (PDF) yesterday, the Santa Clara County Health Department reported that 150 of the illnesses occurred in the county. Another 20 cases were reported in the counties of Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Marin, and Merced.
ABC News reports that 11 illnesses were confirmed in Alameda County, including one child who was sickened and three people who were hospitalized.
Most of the victims ate at Mariscos San Juan #3 restaurant in San Jose, located at 205 N. 4th Street, on Friday October 16th or Saturday October 17th. Health officials closed the restaurant on Sunday and it has not reopened.
The restaurant owners are now facing three lawsuits from people who were infected, including two men and one woman from San Jose. The owners are accused of negligence for failing to take reasonable care to ensure the food was not contaminated.
Shigella is a highly-infectious bacteria that spreads through the fecal-oral route. Food poisoning outbreaks are usually caused by employees who come to work sick and do not wash their hands thoroughly after using the bathroom. According to health officials in Santa Clara:
“Shigella is extremely contagious. People with diarrhea must not work, especially food service workers, healthcare providers, and childcare workers. Careful, frequent hand washing is extremely important in preventing the continued spread of the outbreak.”
The illness typically resolves after 5-7 days of diarrhea (may be bloody), fever, and abdominal pain. However, in some cases the infection spreads beyond the intestines to the bloodstream and causes life-threatening bacteremia.
Do I have a Food Poisoning Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Mariscos San Juan induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with Shigella, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Food Poisoning Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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