4 more states report E. coli illnesses linked to Chipotle outlets

Six states now report cases of E. coli linked to Chipotle restaurants. A total of 45 people have gotten sick from the strain – 43 of those people had recently eaten a tasty, non-GMO, sustainably sourced (sometimes), E. coli-laced burrito from Chipotle.

Investigators are using whole genome sequencing, an advanced laboratory technique, to get more information about the DNA fingerprint of the STEC O26 bacteria causing illness, the CDC said Friday.

Erie County Health Commissioner Gale Burstein has declined to identify which Erie County Chipotle location is linked to the illness, saying that all locations of the chain restaurant are at equal risk of exposure to this E. Coli outbreak.

-Nov. 9: Washington health officials say testing fails to identify the exact source for the outbreak.

Fortunately, Chipotle chairman and co-CEO Steve Ells is committed to cleaning up the restaurant chains and getting them back on track to serve food that doesn’t cause customers’ mouths to water for all the wrong reasons. In addition to OR and Washington, cases have been reported in Minnesota, New York, OH and California.

The new states included in the outbreak are California, Minnesota, NY and Ohio.

On November 4, cases of food poisoning were first reported in OR and Washington. Sixteen of them have been hospitalized but no deaths have been reported.

The Chipotle E. coli outbreak is not over.

Though the food illness was previously reported primarily in the Northwest, with 43 Chipotle restaurants temporarily closed in Washington and OR, and two people sickened in Minnesota, additional cases have since been reported in California, NY and Ohio.

Though investigators have yet to ascertain the origin of the outbreak, Arnold said ingredients that will have been during the visits at the affected places are no longer there. “In response to this incident, Chipotle has taken aggressive steps to make sure its restaurants are as safe as possible”. “We offer our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by this situation, and will continue to cooperate with health authorities as they look to conclude the investigation”.