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Bridgeport E. Coli Outbreak: Victim Count Hits 65, Health Officials Say

By Ed Komenda | July 15, 2016 12:57pm | Updated on July 18, 2016 7:55am
 An investigation of the restaurant at 300 W. 26th St. showed the outbreak began there.
An investigation of the restaurant at 300 W. 26th St. showed the outbreak began there.
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DNAinfo/Ed Komenda

BRIDGEPORT — The number of people infected with E. coli from a neighborhood Mexican restaurant has grown to 65, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health.

As of Thursday night, 20 of those victims have been hospitalized, according to Heath Department spokesman Matt Smith.

"CDPH continues to recommend that anyone who has eaten at Carbón and experiences outbreak related symptoms should see a medical provider," Smith said in a statement.

An investigation discovered the E. coli outbreak began at Carbón Live Fire Mexican Grill, 300 W. 26th St., but it is still unknown if the illness-sparking bacteria started with a particular food item or a sick employee.

Carbón owners have not returned requests for comments on the outbreak.

Carbón voluntarily closed its Bridgeport headquarters until a health department investigation is complete. As a precaution, owners closed their second location at 810 N. Marshfield Ave, but health officials recently cleared the restaurant to reopen.

The Bridgeport restaurant remains closed. The Health Department's investigation is "ongoing."

Carbón canceled plans to participate in this year's Taste of Chicago.

The outbreak led Chicago resident Melissa Andrews, who spent days in the hospital after eating some of the restaurant's chicken tacos, to file a lawsuit against Carbón.

She’s now seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and her suffering, according to Bill Marler, the Seattle-based lawyer representing Andrews and 31 others who said they became ill after eating at Carbón.

City records show the health department passed the restaurant on every one of nine inspections since 2011. Four of those inspections happened after customers complained.

E. coli symptoms include debilitating stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. Though most cases clear up in a week, the worst of them can cause a type of kidney failure known as hemolytic uremic syndrome.

The most common form of E. coli causes an estimated 96,000 illnesses, 3,200 hospitalizations and 31 deaths in the U.S. every year, according to Food Safety News.

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