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Health officials from Santa Clara County, California have just shut down a popular Mexican seafood restaurant following the most recent, very serious Shigella outbreak.
Mariscos, a Mexican restaurant in Downtown San Jose, CA, was closed Sunday. This action took place after 40 people fell ill with symptoms of Shigella.
Health officials took notice once five people who had recently eaten at Mariscos admitted themselves to South Bay hospitals with fever and diarrhea.
Santa Clara County health officials are now working to figure out what it was that caused this outbreak, and where in the restaurant it originated from.
Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said: “We’re right in the fix of the investigation. What we know is everyone who’s ill has eaten at that restaurant location. The restaurant is closed until we can be assured that there is no further risk to the public.
Most victims ate at the restaurant on Friday or Saturday. Many sufferers were admitted to hospitals, and many didn’t seek medical attention. Health officials expect there to be several more cases in the near future.
Shigella poisoning symptoms include abdominal pain, watery or bloody diarrhea, fever, and malaise. It’s a bacteria that can be spread through food preparation or person to person.
The poisoning typically lasts a week. Untreated Shigella poisoning victims can carry the bacteria for up to six weeks. The treatment is quicker with antibiotics.
Shigella is incredibly common, being the third most common cause of gastroenteritis in the country behind only Salmonella and E. coli. Deaths from the bacteria are rare, though there are hundreds of thousands affected by it every year.
