Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

Souplantation Lawsuit: Shigella Outbreak

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), every year about 13,000 cases of shigellosis are reported in the United States. Because many milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be twenty times greater.

Our law firm represented victims of the Shigella outbreak associated with the Souplantation in Pasadena, California.

Pasadena – The Pasadena Public Health Department’s ongoing Shigella outbreak investigation, in coordination with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, has identified a total of 44 confirmed or suspected cases linked to the Souplantation in Pasadena on Lake Avenue.  Thirteen of these cases have been verified by laboratory testing and the samples are undergoing additional testing to determine if the strain is related to any other outbreaks throughout the country.  Additional reported cases are awaiting confirmation and are still being investigated 

On August 2, the Public Health Department had narrowed down the site of the outbreak to customers who ate at the Souplantation located at 201 Lake Avenue in Pasadena, during the dates of Sunday, July 22 through Wednesday, July 25.  

Souplantation, which had voluntarily closed on August 3, plans to reopen on Friday, August 10. 

The restaurant has worked with the Pasadena Public Health Department to implement on-site food handling safety and storage classes this week for all their employees. Although environmental health inspectors did not identify any violations at the site during this investigation, the restaurant has conducted a thorough deep cleaning and sanitizing of their entire facility. Environmental health staff completed follow-up inspections with the restaurant facility on August 9 and 10.  In cooperation with the restaurant, all employees at the Pasadena location were also evaluated over the past week and must be cleared by the Public Health Department before they can return to work. Souplantation’s customer service number, set up last week, is (800) 328-7761.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shigellosis is an infectious disease caused by a group of bacteria, called Shigella, that can cause severe diarrhea in humans. Other symptoms may include fever and abdominal cramps. Illness often occurs 1 to 2 days after exposure to Shigella and can last 5 to 7 days or more. The Shigella bacteria can pass from one infected person to the next, often through stool or soiled fingers. 

According to Dr. Takashi Wada, Director and Health Officer for the Pasadena Public Health Department, “It is fortunate that we were able to work with our counterparts in Los Angeles County and with Souplantation to aggressively investigate this Shigella outbreak. Although our investigation is ongoing, we are confident that we have been able to limit its spread.”

If you or someone you love has been hospitalized after a Shigella infection or after any other foodborne illness, contact Pritzker | Olsen, P.A. for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and remedies. Call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, e-mail info@pritzkerlaw.com, or fill in the online consultation form. For information about our senior partner, Fred Pritzker, please see Food Poisoning: Lawyer and Attorney.


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