FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. — The St. Clair County Health Department is still trying to figure out what caused an outbreak of Shigella at the LongHorn Steakhouse in Fairview Heights.
More cases have been linked to the Longhorn Steakhouse Shigella outbreak. At least 42 people have now become sick after eating there. Now, 20 people have recently tested positive for this infectious disease, ranging from 22 to 80 years old.
It has been a week since the restaurant shut down, and it will remain closed as the health department continues its investigation.
5 On Your Side has heard from more people who have gotten sick since our original story aired.
For the first time, an active member of the Air Force is speaking out after eating at the steakhouse for a special occasion.
What was supposed to be a celebration for Justin Kromrie and his wife on their 13th wedding anniversary at the steakhouse turned into something they never expected.
"We went on the evening of the 21st of September. We both had a steak and a salad. We had a babysitter that night, so it was nice to get away and celebrate a little bit of us time," said Kromrie.
Days later, the couple started having intense stomach pains, body chills, high fevers and diarrhea.
"It wasn't on our to-do list for our wedding anniversary. But it is what it is. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do now," Kromrie explained.
The Air Force member ended up in the ER, and later, he and his wife both tested positive for Shigella.
"It was not fun. There were times when, during the day, my wife was lying on one couch, and I was lying on another couch. And we have a six-year-old daughter at home. So, we both had to take turns and high-five each other to make sure we were taking care of her. Those two weeks definitely were hard, especially adding our kid into it. There were days when we couldn't take her to school because we were both feeling so ill. We weren't able to take her to gymnastics or soccer practice. So, unfortunately, it had a negative effect on our innocent little child, which is never fun," Kromrie said.
After getting sick from their anniversary dinner, the couple missed work for a while.
"My wife was in a transition phase of starting a new job. So, unfortunately, she was really, really sick on her first week of work, which made it more challenging for her. And then, for me, it's always hard to miss work just because of the nature of what I do. It's important, and missing time always has effects," said Kromrie.
Kromie is one of 136 people who hired food poisoning lawyer Jory Lange after eating at the steakhouse.
"We've gotten calls from well over 200 people at this point. People are really upset. For many people, this was their favorite restaurant," Lange said.
5 On Your Side asked the attorney why he's heard from so many more people than the health department.
"We see that in almost every outbreak because the health department sees a lot of the outbreak, but no one entity sees all of it because not all people report their symptoms to the same place," Lange said.
Kromrie said it's scary knowing how big the outbreak is, "We're talking about over 100 people. I mean, that's crazy. Who knows their ages, ranging from the elderly to the young. It's just crazy to think that when we were there and looking around, those sitting next to us are probably going through this, too."
Kromrie said he feels that LongHorn needs to be held accountable.
"Hopefully, no one's doing worse, and hopefully, no one dies from this. But I think the biggest thing is being a voice for those who can't voice what's happening. And then, just holding LongHorn accountable is the main thing. That's all that matters to me," Kromrie said.
The St. Clair County Health Department is still looking for what caused the outbreak. They're asking anybody who ate at the steakhouse in Fairview Heights from Sept. 20 through Oct. 2 to fill out this short survey. The health department said this information will help to isolate the food or foods that are the cause of the Shigella infections.
As for the cause of this outbreak, Lange has been trying to get a better idea about what it could be through his clients.
"We talked to one couple who only had margaritas. They didn't have any food. They just had margaritas. We talked to another person who was there to interview for a job and was offered a glass of water. She didn't eat anything, just drank water. Yet, all three of those people got sick. I think it seems more like a sick food handler than a product," the lawyer said.
Lange said his firm has received calls from sick people who ate at the steakhouse the last day it was open. He feels the numbers will continue to rise.
"This is a very big outbreak and a very serious outbreak. This is the biggest Shigella outbreak that I've seen in the United States in recent memory," Lange said.
Kromrie said he's looked into the severe long-term complications that can come from having Shigella, and it's something that scares him to think about.
"To think that this minor short-term infection and what happened could cause severe complications down the road. All I can do is hope and pray that that doesn't happen to my wife, me, or anyone affected," Kromrie said.