LongHorn Steakhouse Linked To Major Illness Outbreak: 'Likely To Grow'

Food safety has been in the spotlight quite a lot this year amid a series of major product recalls and illness outbreaks that have affected dozens of people. Now, consumers are contending with another flare-up of foodborne illness linked to a restaurant from a major steakhouse chain. 

The St. Clair County Health Department in Illinois is currently investigating an outbreak of shigellosis, an illness that is spread through shigella germs and typically includes symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain. The department has received 14 reports of people testing positive for shigella so far, with six cases requiring hospitalization. Twelve of those people had eaten at a LongHorn Steakhouse in Fairview Heights between Sept. 21 and 22, the Belleville News-Democrat reported, citing a press release.

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Jory Lange, a lawyer who has previously won settlements for diners sicked by shigella at restaurants, predicted that the number of illnesses in this outbreak is “likely to grow” even more. That’s because it typically takes time for sick people to visit the hospital, get tested, and have their results reported, he noted in a press release.

While the St. Clair County Health Department is still working to determine the cause of the outbreak—and no LongHorn employees have been diagnosed with shigellosis—LongHorn Steakhouse has been cooperating in the investigation. The company voluntarily closed the Fairview Heights location, located at 6115 N. Illinois St., on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 to take extra precautions and sanitize the restaurant with a hospital-grade disinfectant. They also performed this sanitization process twice earlier in the week after communicating with the health department. 

Additionally, LongHorn has an expert in food safety and cleanliness on site at the restaurant right now to ensure workers are familiar with its standards.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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“The health and safety of our guests and team members is our number one priority, which is why we have voluntarily closed our restaurant today and tomorrow,” LongHorn Steakhouse said in a statement to Eat This, Not That! “This will allow us to conduct an additional thorough sanitization of the restaurant using a hospital-grade disinfectant. Our Total Quality manager on site will also be reinforcing our food safety and sanitation practices with our team.”

The St. Clair County Health Department plans to release more information as it continues its investigation into the shigellosis outbreak. The department also advised people who’d eaten at the Fairview Heights LongHorn Steakhouse location since Sept. 21 and developed a diarrheal illness to consult their doctors, per the Belleville News-Democrat.

Zoe Strozewski