A Shigella outbreak at an unnamed hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California has sickened art least six people, according to the Alameda County Health Department. The hotel was the site of a union delegate conference and was held from August 21 to August 24, 2023. The only conference we could find that was scheduled at that time was the Coalition of Kaiser Permanence Union Delegate Conference at the Westin Bonaventure Los Angeles at 404 South Figueroa Street.
More than 300 people attended that conference. As of August 31, 2023, the California Department of Public Health is reporting six shigellosis cases from local California local health jurisdictions among event attendees. At least three out of the six cases were PCR+ for Shigella. Culture and additional sub typing tests are pending.
The known illness onset date is August 25, 2023. At least two of these patients have been hospitalized.
There is no information about what the source of the pathogen might be. Shigella can be transmitted through contaminated food and drink, person-to-person, by swallowing recreational water, and by touching contaminated surfaces. The bacteria is highly contagious.
People usually get sick between 24 and 48 hours after exposure to the pathogen. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea that can be bloody, abdominal pain, and tenesmus, which is the painful sensation of needing to pass stools when the bowels are empty.
Although most people recover within a week, it can take months before the bowel returns to normal. And patients can suffer dehydration and go into shock if they have severe diarrhea and vomiting. Moreover, complications from this infection can include reactive arthritis, seizures, and even hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure.
The best way to prevent this infection is to stay home from work and school, especial if you have contact with the public or work in health care and food service. Local health departments are required to restrict activities of people who work in those settings.
If you attended a union delegate conference in Los Angeles in late August 2023, perhaps at the Westin Bonaventure Los Angeles, and have been ill with those symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this shigella outbreak.
If you have been sickened with a food poisoning infection, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors.
