Salmonella Investigation Closes Batavia Restaurant

A popular downtown Batavia restaurant remained closed Tuesday while the Kane County Health Department investigated recent cases of salmonella.

Aliano's Ristorante, 90 N. Island Ave., has been closed since Friday, said Kane County Health Department spokesman Tom Schlueter. The restaurant is fully cooperating with the investigation and closed their doors voluntarily.

Six people tested positive for salmonella, and they all reported eating at Aliano's. While this is one common link, Schlueter said the department is trying to figure out if there are any other connections, such as other restaurants the people ate at or other types of food consumed in the days leading up to their illness.

"That’s why we're conducting the investigation," Schlueter told Batavia Patch on Tuesday. "When and if we find out, we can pin it down and make sure people are safe."

One of the six people had to be hospitalized but was released, he said.

Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Illness usually lasts four to seven days.

No Reopening Date Yet

Aliano's will remain closed while the investigation continues, Schlueter said. All the restaurant's food handlers and employees have to be tested twice and not test positive for salmonella.

"They won’t stay closed longer than they absolutely have to," Schlueter said.

Aliano's had a sign posted outside its doors apologizing for the closure, Patch readers reported. An e-mail sent to Mario Aliano, one of the restaurant's co-owners, was not immediately returned Tuesday night.

A phone call placed to Aliano's main number Monday afternoon was not picked up, and there was no answering machine message.

Kane County has had 66 cases of Salmonella this year as of Tuesday, Schlueter said. There were 108 cases in the county in 2011, and 85 cases in 2010.

Schlueter was not aware of any prior health issues for the restaurant, which opened near the end of 2011. The Health Department might not be able to determine the origin of the salmonella cases.

"Sometimes you can’t find the exact cause," he said.