As of Thursday night, October 29, 2015, the number of outbreak associated cases of Shigella reported to Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD) now stands at 190; 152 of these cases are Santa Clara County residents and 38 reported cases are people who live in other counties. Of the 190 total cases, 99 are lab confirmed; 78 of which are Santa Clara County residents. There are 21 confirmed cases from other jurisdictions, including San Mateo , Alameda, Santa Cruz, Marin and Merced Counties. Nearly all of the cases have reported that they ate at Mariscos San Juan #3 restaurant on Friday October 16th or Saturday October 17th.

SCCPHD remains focused on the outbreak investigation and we continue to work closely with our colleagues in other affected counties and with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Mariscos San Juan #3 restaurant remains closed.

Please continue reporting cases to us and sending Shigella isolates to our county public health lab. So far, all cultures have come back as Shigella sonnei.

Be sure to educate patients about careful, frequent hand washing to prevent spread. We expect to see some secondary infections.

Please let your patients and staff know that Shigella is extremely contagious. People with diarrhea – even mild – must not work: especially healthcare providers, food service workers, and childcare workers. Tell individuals who work in a sensitive occupation like these that they can’t return to work until cleared by Public Health.

Patients who are clearly getting better may not need treatment, but do consider treating those with slow recoveries, or individuals who work in a sensitive occupation such as food service, healthcare, or child care.

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Shigella outbreaks. The Shigella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Shigella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $600 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our Shigella lawyers have litigated Shigella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of sources, such as tomatoes, airplane and restaurant food.

If you or a family member became ill with a Shigella infection after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Shigella attorneys for a free case evaluation.