FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS — A LongHorn Steakhouse in the Metro East is temporarily closed amid “hospital-grade” disinfection and staff retraining efforts, as public health officials investigate a cluster of illnesses and hospitalizations caused by shigellosis, an infectious gastrointestinal disease.
The St. Clair County Health Department said it knew of 14 reports of people who had tested positive for the disease, as of a Wednesday press release. Twelve of them ate at the LongHorn Steakhouse in Fairview Heights between Sept. 21 and Sept. 22, with six cases resulting in hospitalizations, according to the release.
The disease is caused by shigella, a group of bacteria that are present in “the diarrheal stools” of infected people during their illness and for a few weeks afterwards, the department said. “Most infections occur when the germ passes from the stool or soiled fingers of one person to the mouth of another person,” it added.
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It is most often passed via contaminated food or drinks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The department declined multiple requests for an interview Thursday, but said in an email that it is gathering additional information from the public, state health officials and LongHorn, and expects to provide an update Friday.
LongHorn is owned by Darden Restaurants, the Orlando-based parent company of several restaurant chains, including Olive Garden. The company was contacted by health department officials earlier this week, and then voluntarily closed the Fairview Heights restaurant on Wednesday and Thursday, said Ali Beemer, a Darden spokeswoman — adding that the company had received no confirmation that the restaurant was directly linked to the cases.
“Currently, we have no team members that have tested positive,” she said. “We’re fully cooperating with the local health department.”
Beemer said that the restaurant has undergone thorough sanitization with a “hospital-grade” disinfectant. Meanwhile, staff members are also going through retraining efforts aimed at “reinforcing our food safety and sanitation practices,” the company said.
The restaurant had targeted reopening as soon as Friday afternoon, before Darden said late Thursday that it “decided to voluntarily remain closed,” while awaiting additional information from the health department.
Shigellosis causes fever and diarrhea that may become bloody, with symptoms emerging one or two days after contacting the bacteria, the county health department said. Symptoms usually last several days, but can sometimes persist for weeks.
Anyone who ate at the LongHorn location in Fairview Heights since Sept. 21 and developed “diarrheal illness” within 12 hours to four days afterward is asked to contact their doctor, the health department said.