DuPage restaurant-borne illness cases rising

The DuPage County Health Department is staffing its call center throughout the weekend to keep tabs on the rising number of gastrointestinal illnesses being reported from a Subway restaurant in Lombard.

Four more cases of shigellosis were confirmed Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases caused by the outbreak at the restaurant to 12, health department spokesman Dave Hass said. Of those 12 cases, seven have required hospitalization. Six of those who were hospitalized have been released, Hass said.

The restaurant at 1009 E. Roosevelt Road in Lombard remains closed as investigators try to determine the cause of the outbreak. Hass said the restaurant would open sometime next week at the earliest. Anyone who ate at the restaurant between Feb. 24 and March 1 and became ill within 12 hours to four days afterward is asked to report the incident to the health department by calling (630) 682-7400.

Symptoms of shigellosis include bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach cramps. Young children and the elderly may have harsher reactions to infection. Anyone suffering from shigellosis should consult a physician about treatment because some anti-diarrhea medications can prolong the illness, health department officials reported.

Shigellosis is caused by ingesting bacteria-infected fecal matter. It is usually transmitted because of poor hand-washing habits, according to medical Web sites.