Public health officers are investigating an outbreak of Shigella infections traced to a restaurant in Illinois.
The LongHorn Steakhouse in Fairview Heights, IL, has been closed in relation to the outbreak. As of Oct. 3, there were 14 confirmed sufferers within the outbreak with six of them requiring hospitalization, according to St. Clair County health officers.
The sufferers started changing into sick after drinking at the restaurant on Sept. 21 and 22.
The outbreak investigation is ongoing and further sufferers are doubtless. The county health department is working with the Illinois Division of Public Health on the investigation.
Anyone who has eaten at the restaurant and develop into sick is requested to survey clinical consideration and repeat their health care suppliers about their doubtless publicity to Shigella so that right checks may per chance moreover be performed.
About Shigella infections
Shigella infection causes fever and diarrhea, which may per chance even develop into bloody. These symptoms happen one to two days after coming in contact with the bacteria. Symptoms customarily final 5 to 7 days, nonetheless another folks may per chance trip symptoms wherever from about a days to 4 or more weeks.
Folks with diarrhea ought to quiet contact their doctor within the event that they’ve fever, bloody or prolonged diarrhea, severe stomach cramping or dehydration. Shigella cases ought to quiet snappily be reported to the native health department by health care suppliers and laboratories.
Illness transmission occurs when Shigella bacteria pass from one contaminated person to the subsequent. Shigella infections moreover may per chance be got from drinking corrupt food. The bacteria are boom within the diarrheal stools of contaminated persons while they are sick and for about a weeks afterwards. Most infections happen when the germ passes from the stool or soiled fingers of 1 person to the mouth of yet another person.
The spread of Shigella from an contaminated person to other persons may per chance moreover be stopped by careful hand washing with soap and water, in particular after using the restroom. Frequent, supervised hand washing of all younger other folks ought to be adopted in properties with younger younger other folks (including younger other folks in diapers). When doubtless, younger younger other folks with a Shigella infection who are quiet in diapers ought to quiet not keep in touch with uninfected younger other folks. Folks who win shigellosis ought to quiet not prepare food or beverages to be consumed by others till they were confirmed to no longer be carrying the Shigella bacterium.
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