Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
San Diego Shigella Outbreak Now Exceeds 90 Patients
Los Angeles Times: Shigella Outbreak Spreads As More San Jose Restaurant Customers Get Sick
Public health officials are now estimating the number of people who contracted a bacterial infection after eating at a San Jose seafood restaurant exceeds 90, a dozen of whom wound up in intensive care. At least 93 patients suffered fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea after eating at Mariscos San Juan Restaurant No. 3 in the 200 block of North 4th Street over the weekend, according to the Santa Clara Department of Public Health. Many patients required hospitalization, and 12 needed intensive-care treatment. (Rocha, 10/21)
Fox News: Northern California Restaurant Sued After Shigella Outbreak Sickens Dozens
Two lawsuits were filed against a Mexican seafood restaurant in San Jose Wednesday after at least 93 people were sickened following meals there, with 12 hospitalized. The Santa Clara County Public Health Department issued a warning to people who ate at Mariscos San Juan on Friday or Saturday. The restaurant had its permit suspended and has been closed since Sunday. County deputy health officer Dr. George Han told a news conference Wednesday morning that tests confirmed that 24 people have contracted the shigella bacteria. (10/22)
Kaiser Health News: In Tracking Outbreaks of Food Poisoning, Can Yelp Help?
Shigellosis is a contagious diarrheal disease caused by the Shigella group of bacteria and can be spread when people don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom. More than 500,000 cases are reported in the U.S. each year. The disease can cause severe dehydration or fainting and in rare cases may be fatal. Some health researchers and public health professionals believe consumer review sites like Yelp might just help them identify and investigate food poisoning outbreaks similar to this one. It’s not unlike using Google searches to track potential flu and Dengue outbreaks. (Feder Ostrov, 10/22)
