Another outbreak is reported to occur in San Jose after 80 people contracted Shigella, an easily transmittable bacteria and was reported traced to a downtown seafood eatery. Santa Clara County health officials feared that more than 100 other people could be infected over the next few days. Among those who were infected, 12 of them already required intensive care treatment.
As reported in Mercury News, Public Health Director Sara Cody warned the public of how contagious the bacteria is, "It's very, very infectious. It doesn't take very much for this bacteria to spread." The county officials also added that Shigella can be very serious and if untreated, fatal.
Last Sunday, health authorities have already shut down Mariscos San Juan, a Mexican seafood restaurant in downtown San Jose. This is reported to be the only source of the said outbreak. Since then, they have alerted people who ate there last Friday and Saturday. They have warned these people of possible infection which may cause severe fever, diarrhea and stomach pain. This can also be contracted easily by others.
The symptoms are reported to appear within a week but in most cases, it begins to show one to four days after contracting the bacteria.
One of the patients was reported saying, "I've never been this sick". Erica Funes is a mother of two from San Jose who took her lunch at Mariscos San Jose last Friday. It was said to be her first visit to the restaurant. She was later driven to the emergency room at O'Connor Hospital in west San Jose after her temperature elevated to 105.2 degrees that night.
"I'm feeling better now, but I still have some stomach pain," she said on Tuesday, "My main concerns are my two little ones at home. I don't want them to get infected."
According to Cody, several of the victims were admitted in several hospitals across the region and all are expected to recover soon. However, the effect of Shigella bacteria may vary, depending on one's immune system. It is proven harmful to sickly children and the elderly. Meanwhile, the strain of the bacteria is known as of a "garden variety" which can be treated with antibiotics.
Health officials are investigating all possible sources of contamination but they are suspecting the contamination started with an infected food handler. Mariscos San Juan owner Sergio Becerra Cruz was unavailable for comment last Tuesday. County officials have urged anyone who ate at the restaurant to seek medical attention as soon as they feel ill.
