6 E. coli victims were minors

Almost all of the people sickened by the E. coli bacteria after eating at a Lake Forest restaurant were under age 18, Orange County health officials said Tuesday. Three of the seven who became ill were hospitalized.

Health officials said they were still searching for the source of the bacteria that caused the diners to become ill about a week after eating at the Foothill Ranch Souplantation in Lake Forest between March 23 and 25. Of the diners, six were under 18. The seventh was over 70. None remain hospitalized.

“We’re interviewing the seven patients to see if there are any links with what they’ve eaten,” said Tricia Landquist, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Health Care Agency.

The restaurant remains open because health officials found no health violations during an inspection last weekend. “We looked into food storage temperatures, food handling practices and signs of rodent infestation, but found nothing irregular,” Landquist said.

San Diego-based Souplantation, specializing in soups and salads, has 34 Southern California locations. As news of the contamination began to spread Monday, business at the eatery’s Foothill Ranch location took a hit.

“It’s not good,” said Eric Larson, a Souplantation regional manager, as he greeted customers at the door during Tuesday’s lunch hour. “We’re usually nearly full during the lunch rush. But now we’re maybe a quarter full.”

But some customers said they were undeterred by the negative publicity.

“What happened here could happen to any restaurant,” said Mike Gallawa, 53, of Huntington Beach before he entered the restaurant with his wife. “Things like this can happen when you handle such large amounts of food.

“We’ve been coming to Souplantations for years, and we love it. And with all the scrutiny this place is getting, it’s probably one of the safest places to eat these days.”

Not everyone was as accepting. Jim Lowes, a 55-year-old Foothill Ranch resident, said he was angry that management did not inform him of the E. coli outbreak. “Had I known, I would not have chosen this place,” said Lowes, minutes after finishing off a salad and a bowl of chicken noodle soup. “I’ll never eat here again. They should have put up a sign or something.”

Larson said the company wasn’t hiding anything from its customers. “If people ask,” he said, “we’re telling them that seven people who ate here became ill and that the health department is looking into finding the source of it.”

Three people, including a toddler, died in an E. coli outbreak last summer, when 205 cases were reported in 26 states. The outbreak was traced to spinach grown on a cattle ranch near Salinas and triggered a recall of the vegetable.

The form of E. coli involved in that outbreak is similar to what was discovered at the Lake Forest restaurant. It is particularly dangerous because it adheres to the intestinal wall and emits a toxic material that can dissolve it, causing bloody diarrhea, extreme cramping and, in severe cases, kidney failure and death.

Before last weekend, health officials said, there had been two cases of E. coli reported in Orange County this year.

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david.mckibben@latimes.com