A shigellosis outbreak in Lavaca County, Texas has been announced by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Officials are investigating this outbreak. No source of the pathogen has been declared and there is no mention of how many people are sick or if anyone has been hospitalized. There is also no patient age range mentioned. Officials are interviewing patients and are collecting food samples from a location where “multiple individuals” ate before they got sick.
The last Shigella outbreak in the United States was linked to Tamarind Tree in Seattle, Washington earlier this year. At least 32 people were sickened in that outbreak.
This bacteria causes about a half million illnesses in the United States every year. This infection is highly contagious and is spread through contaminated food and drink, through contaminated water, and from person to person. Outbreaks are most often associated with child care centers or daycares.
Symptoms of shigellosis begin one to two days after exposure to the pathogen. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea that can be bloody, and the painful sensation of needing to pass stool when the bowels are empty.
People are usually sick for about a week, but it can take months to return to normal. Complications of this infection can include reactive arthritis, bloodstream infections, seizures, and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which is a type of kidney failure.
If you live in that area and are ill with those symptoms, see your doctor. While you are sick, wash your hands often with soap and water, and use a separate bathroom from other family members, or clean and disinfect the bathroom after each use. Stay home from school, daycare, or jobs in the food service industry until your symptoms have resolved for at least 24 hours. And do not prepare food for others and do not go swimming.
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.
