Shigella outbreak spreads to four counties
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) -- The shigella outbreak stemming from a downtown San Jose Mexican restaurant has now spread to four counties with 110 people reporting symptoms.
Another lawsuit was filed Thursday against the restaurant owner.
Martin Chavez is back home but not quite back to his old self after he and his wife spent the last few days at Kaiser Santa Clara after they were diagnosed with shigella after eating at Mariscos San Juan Restaurant Friday night.
"By the time I got to the emergency room," said Chavez. "I was under excruciating pain, my whole back and nerves, and my muscles my bones were hurting."
The couple are among the latest to file lawsuits against the Mariscos restaurant owner for medical expenses. Health officials are investigating the source of the outbreak whether it was contaminated food, water or an infected employee who didn't wash their hands after using the restroom.
"For them to tell me that these type of infections only happen in third world countrries really tells me they were not using the basics at that restaurant," said Chavez.
"As of today, the number of caes of diarrheal illness associated with the restaurant now stands at 110," said Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody.
Of the 110 "suspected" cases, 92 are from Santa Clara County. 18 are from Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. 24 of them are confirmed to be shigella.
"This is not respiratory spread," said Dr. Cody. "This is not something you catch walking down the street. This is by direct contact with another person or eating food or beverages prepared by an ill person."
Health officials are urging the importance of washing hands to prevent the illness's rapid spread given it's highly contagious. Chavez echoes that saying it's the worst pain he ever felt for a long period of time and now he wants the restaurant to pay up.
"That place shouldn't be open," said Chavez. "We have been going there for years but if you are not going to be responsible for your employees, you don't deserve to be open."
The Santa Clara County Health Department said it won't be until early next week until results will come back after testing the food handlers that worked there Friday or Saturday.
The restaurant shut down Sunday, and remains closed.
The restaurant has two other locations on Willow Street near state Highway 87 and on Senter Road near Kelley Park that remain open.