Dozens of diners stricken by food poisoning in California
More than 80 people have been sickened with an infectious diarrheal disease after eating at a Mexican seafood restaurant in San Jose, California, health officials announced Tuesday.
Many of them had to be hospitalized after developing shigellosis, an intestinal disease caused by a family of bacteria known as shigella, officials said.
The illness is marked by diarrhea (often bloody) as well as fever, abdominal pain and cramps, according to experts at the Mayo Clinic.
CBS San Francisco reports that they picked up the bug after eating at the Mariscos San Juan restaurant on Friday or Saturday. The restaurant was closed by health officials on Sunday.
A majority of the 40 people originally reported ill needed hospitalization and a dozen people were sent to an intensive care unit, according to the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. The infection likely spread from an employee who handled the food and then to customers who ate the food, local health officials said.
"Someone who is ill with shigella and has diarrhea can spread the infection if after using the restroom, they don't wash their hands properly and then prepare food or prepare a beverage," Santa Clara County health officer Dr. Sara Cody said.
Laboratory tests have confirmed at least 15 of the cases were shigella infection and more results are expected from additional people struck ill by the intestinal disease, Santa Clara County health officials said.
Symptoms of shigellosis generally occur one to two days after becoming infected with the bacteria, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In otherwise healthy people, symptoms can last for about five to seven days and most people make a full recovery, but it can take months before bowel functions return to normal.
Joint pain, irritation of the eyes, painful urination, and blood stream infection are less common symptoms. Seizures have been reported occasionally in young children with shigellosis and usually resolve without treatment, according to the CDC.
The CDC estimates that every year, there are about 500,000 cases of shigellosis in the United States.
The restaurant was closed on Sunday morning by local health departments and the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health (DEH), and it will remain closed until the safety of the public can be assured. All possible sources of contamination are currently being investigated.
Cody said it's important to identify those with the extremely contagious infection so that they can help stop its spread through proper hand washing and steer clear of food preparation for others.