A Santa Clara County restaurant has been linked with a massive outbreak of food poisoning. It has been reported that 182 people have been sickened after eating at Mariscos San Juan #3, a Mexican seafood restaurant in San Jose. Of those people, 72 tested positive for shigella, an infectious intestinal diarrheal disease closely related to salmonella. At least a dozen of these food poisoning victims were hospitalized.
It has been confirmed that one of the food handlers at the restaurant tested positive for shigella.
Since the outbreak, the restaurant has been closed and is now part of an investigation by the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health. There were 144 cases reported in Santa Clara County and 38 cased across Santa Cruz, Alameda, Merced, and Marin Counties.
The restaurant is currently facing three separate lawsuits alleging owner negligence. Some of the victims have reported that management was adamant that they had nothing to do with the outbreak.
Roughly 20 percent of the nearly 450,000 annual cases of shigella in the U.S. are foodborne-related. According to the CDC, it can be stopped with frequent hand washing with soap. The Health Department is asking anyone who has recently eaten at the restaurant and is experiencing symptoms to see a doctor immediately.
Personal Injury Attorneys in Northern California
Foodborne illness is a serious matter. Food that is improperly stored or handled has the potential to make people extremely ill, and in some cases can even be fatal. Shigella, salmonella, norovirus, clostridium botulinum (botulism), or E.coli, are just some of the many harmful pathogens that could come into contact with food, especially if it is prepared by an infected food handler.
If you have been sickened and suspect that your food was contaminated, you may be entitled to legal recourse. An attorney from our firm can help investigate the details of your case and determine whether you have a case to pursue compensation.
To speak with a Northern California personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Larry S. Buckley about your case, please call us today for a free consultation: (530) 413-0245.