Shigella is a significant cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide and can have serious health implications, depending on the population affected as well as the specific strain involved. Here are some key points: Read more at the link above.
The St. Clair County Health Department (SCCHD) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) continue to investigate the outbreak of Shigellosis caused by Shigella bacteria, a disease that affects your digestive system. As of October 11, 2024, the SCCHD has identified 24 individuals with positive Shigella lab reports and an additional 44 individuals reporting illness consistent with Shigellosis after dining at the LongHorn Steakhouse located at 6115 North Illinois Street, in Fairview Heights, Illinois between the dates of September 20th and September 30th, 2024. Age range of those affected are from age 12 to 80 years of age. A total of nine (9) people have been hospitalized.
LongHorn Steakhouse officials voluntarily closed the Fairview Heights establishment on October 2, 2024 and have fully cooperated with SCCHD and IDPH on the investigation to determine the source of the infections. SCCHD has performed environmental assessments of the restaurant and provided corrective actions and guidance in consultation with IDPH on safe food handling practices, proper handwashing protocols and professional environmental cleaning services to prevent further spread of disease.
Shigella is a type of bacteria that causes an infectious disease called shigellosis, which is most known for causing diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. As a parent, it’s important to be informed about shigella to protect your family, especially young children, who are more susceptible. Here’s what you need to know: Read more at the link above.
Shigella outbreaks caused by restaurant employees are not extremely common, but they do occur and can be significant when they happen. Shigella is a highly infectious bacterium, and even a small amount can cause illness. Outbreaks linked to food handlers can happen through the following mechanisms read more at the link above.
According to press reports, the St. Clair County Health Department is investigating the cause of a cluster of gastrointestinal illnesses among customers who dined at the LongHorn Steakhouse in Fairview Heights.
The restaurant has voluntarily closed Wednesday and Thursday. Officials determined that some of the illnesses were caused by shigellosis, an infectious disease caused by a group of bacteria called shigella. As of Wednesday afternoon, the department had received 14 reports from people testing positive for shigella. Twelve had dined at the LongHorn Steakhouse at 6115 N. Illinois St. between Sept. 21 and 22. Six cases have required hospitalization, according to the health department.
A severe food poisoning outbreak linked to a kebab shop in Abergavenny, Wales, in the UK has left at least one victim still suffering from health complications more than a year later. John Inglesby, 76, is among over 50 customers who contracted shigella bacteria after eating at Marmaris Kebab House in February 2023. Food Poisoning News reported on this story last month.
Inglesby’s ordeal began when he visited the kebab shop shortly after returning to work following his wife’s death, according to The Sun. What should have been a comforting meal turned into a nightmare as he experienced severe symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and sweats. A visit to the doctor confirmed he had contracted shigella, a highly contagious intestinal infection spread through contaminated food.
The owners of a kebab shop in Wales gave more than 50 of their customers food poisoning, with 11 of them being hospitalised, after serving contaminated food.
The outbreak happened in February 2023 when customers ate food contaminated with shigella bacteria at Abergavenny’s Marmaris Kebab House in Wales.
Shigella bacteria is extremely contagious and is spread when a person swallows a small amount of it from the stool of someone who is infected. For example, someone may contract shigella if they eat food prepared by someone who has it and didn’t wash their hands.
The Alameda County Public Health Department, Los Angeles Department of Public Health, and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) investigated an outbreak of shigellosis associated with a Kaiser Permanente union delegate conference held at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles from August 21 to August 24, 2023. The event included 269 attendees from across California. This outbreak was assigned the code “OB20233135.”
Belgian authorities have temporarily closed an events venue linked to more than 50 Shigella infections.
The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) and the Flemish Departement Zorg reported that over recent weekends, people had been infected with Shigella after attending the Zandberghoeve venue in Beernem. The source of contamination may be an infected person or a contaminated food or object.
Earlier this year, Zorg en Gezondheid (The Flemish Care and Health Agency) merged with another body to form Departement Zorg.
Image CDC
Globalization of the food supply chain has created conditions favorable for emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) foodborne pathogens. In November 2021, the UK Health Security Agency detected an outbreak of 17 cases infected with the same strain of MDR extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Shigella sonnei. Phylogenetic analysis of whole-genome sequencing data revealed the outbreak was closely related to strains of S. sonnei isolated from travelers returning to the UK from Egypt. None of the outbreak cases reported travel and all 17 cases reported eating food from a restaurant/food outlet in the week prior to symptom onset, of which 11/17 (64.7%) ate at branches of the same national restaurant franchise. All 17 cases were adults and 14/17 (82.4%) were female. Ingredient-level analyses of the meals consumed by the cases identified spring onions as the common ingredient. Food chain investigations revealed that the spring onions served at the implicated restaurants could be traced back to a single Egyptian producer. The foodborne transmission of ESBL-producing bacteria is an emerging global health concern, and concerted action from all stakeholders is required to ensure an effective response to mitigate the risks to public health.
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