Oh No! Longhorn Steakhouse Shut Down After 68 Customers Get Sick, 9 Hospitalized

Things aren't looking good for Longhorn Steakhouse and one of their locations in Illinois. More than 60 customers reported a stomach illness and nine of those people were actually hospitalized.

The reports are that some patrons of this particular Longhorn Steakhouse in Fairview Heights, Illinois, are suffering from Shigella Infection.

One quick google of that brings up one word we are all familiar with, diarrhea.

According to a news release from the St. Clair County Health Department, after dining at this particular Longhorn Steakhouse location, 24 people tested positive for Shigella. An additional 44 reported illness associated with it as well.

Out of those, nine people have been hospitalized. The age ranges affected are from 12-80.

The Longhorn Steakhouse at this location voluntarily shut it's doors for a thorough cleaning, re-training of employees, and so the health department can swoop in and figure out what is causing the bacterial outbreak.

Every employee of the restaurant must have two negative Shigella tests, more than 24 hours apart, before they can return to work, once the steakhouse reopens.

Test results from patrons and staff are still coming in so this outbreak may continue to grow. An alert has also been issued to local physicians about this outbreak.

Food-born illnesses are no joke and are to be taken seriously. Recently a major listeria outbreak in a Boars Head facility led to nine deaths.

It's yet to be determined what, if any repercussions, will come down the ole' shoot for Longhorn Steakhouse, but you can likely expect some lawsuits to follow.