Dozens of diners at Mariscos San Juan, a restaurant in San Jose, Calif., can now put a name to the suite of symptoms they developed after completing their meals. Shigella, a highly infectious bacteria, has landed 11 of them in the ICU and made dozens ill, according to International Business Times.
Shigellosis, which is caused by the bacteria and presents with symptoms like diarrhea and fever, affects about 500,000 Americans per year, according to the CDC. The bacteria usually triggers symptoms within 48 hours of exposure and can be transmitted through water or sexual contact.
Although the illness generally runs its course in five to seven days, symptoms can last much longer, stretching into months. Some strains of the bug are proving to be antibiotic-resistant, making the possibility of a widespread outbreak a more dire concern. In 2014, nearly 90 percent of patients with Shigellosis had contracted drug-resistant strains.
Santa Clara County officials have shut down the restaurant, but have expressed concerns that more people may be suffering from symptoms and have not yet sought medical treatment, according the San Francisco Gate.