The Kane County Health Department announced today that the number of outbreak victims in northeast Illinois with genetically indistinguishable Salmonella Typhimurium infections linked to a Portillo’s restaurant has risen to 13.  9 of the 13 reported eating at the Portillo’s restaurant in St. Charles during the month of April.

Of the 13, 7 are from Kane County, 4 are from DuPage, 1 from Cook and 1 is from Minnesota. 9 are female and 4 are male, with their ages ranging from 17 to 64. 3 of the patients were hospitalized, but all have since been released.

The Portillo’s restaurant is actively cooperating with the investigation, having cleaned and sanitized the building Monday night and discarded all food items, except for samples that were collected by Kane County Health Department staff to send to the IDPH lab for testing. The restaurant also is assuming the cost of testing the store’s employees. Results from those employee tests are expected early next week. None of the employees are allowed to return to work until they have had two tests showing they are not infected. Portillo’s has transferred employees from other locations and remains open.

Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most persons recover without treatment or ever visiting a doctor, the health department said.