San Jose Restaurant at Center of Shigella Outbreak Reopens

The San Jose restaurant that was ground zero for last month's Shigella outbreak reopened Thursday afternoon.

The Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health gave the green-light to Mariscos San Juan No. 3 on North 4th Street. In a statement, the agency says health inspectors have revisited the restaurant and determined there is no risk to public health.

"The facility voluntarily discarded all food products, cleaned and sanitized the facility, and retrained its employees on proper food handling methods," a county spokesperson said in a statement. "All employees who tested negative for Shigella have been allowed to return to work."

Nearly 200 diners from six counties were sickened after dining at the restaurant last month, but health experts never pinned down the precise source of the outbreak. They said that's commonly the case, and in most cases, authorities are never able to identify a so-called "smoking gun."

The outbreak has prompted at least three lawsuits.

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