Chili’s of Oviedo Condemned – 22 Sick, 2 Fatalities, Lawsuit Pending

Florida State health officials first learned of a potential HAV outbreak from emergency room doctors in Oviedo, FL, who reported an unusually high number of hepatitis A cases in late April, 2017. Investigators from the health department began investigating the people who had fallen ill, and determined that the common thread for all was having eaten at the Chili’s restaurant at the Oviedo Marketplace. Once the department isolated the restaurant as the probable source of the outbreak, Chili’s closed the restaurant voluntarily and has remained closed since.

Ultimately, over 22 confirmed cases, both primary and secondary, were linked to this outbreak. The victims included at least 3 employees of the Chili’s restaurant, and numerous residents of three other counties. Two persons died as a consequence of their hepatitis A illnesses. In addition, more than 900 persons who had eaten at the restaurant during the period of potential exposure, or who had been exposed to ill persons, can obtain immune globulin shots as protection against the hepatitis A virus.

The Florida Department of Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), conducted further studies investigating the incident. The FDA issued a statement dated May 1, 2017, reaffirming that this outbreak was associated with eating raw or undercooked chicken at this particular location.