Chipotle closes 43 restaurants following E. coli outbreak

On the heels of an E. coli incident that was linked to eight of its restaurants in OR and Washington state, Chipotle Mexican Grill CMG, -0.13% has taken a number of immediate steps to assist investigators as they conduct their review of the incident in OR and Washington.

The rest of the Washington cases are in King (6), Skagit (4), Cowlitz (2) and Island (2) counties.

According to the press release issued by Washington State Department of Health, nineteen cases related to E. coli sickness in Washington and three in OR were connected to Chipotle. All state Chipotles are closed due to reports of an E. coli outbreak. Three people had to be hospitalized for a few days, but all have been discharged.

The numbers grew from three to 12 probable cases in the Portland area and from 19 to 25 probable cases in five counties near Seattle on Tuesday.

Jonathan Modie, a spokesman for the Oregon Public Health Division, said that the agency has received at least 100 calls and e-mails from people who recently ate at a Chipotle in the state and became ill. Lindquist says officials may know by Wednesday what type of food tests positive for the same microorganism.

Authorities have already asked Chipotle to turn over information about its food suppliers.

The company temporarily shut down 43 restaurants this weekend in OR and Washington after multiple people were found to have been sickened with the bacteria, which health officials believe may have been contracted at Chipotle restaurants.

“The 1,700-outlet chain has grown quickly since it opened in 1993 with a single location, distinguishing itself from typical fast-food restaurants by touting its use of healthy and high-quality fresh ingredients in its menu of burritos, tacos and salads”.

If you ate at Chipotle any time during the past few weeks and experienced intestinal symptoms, health officials want you to go to the doctor and get tested.

Hedberg said the challenge of investigating a food-borne illness in restaurants like Chipotle is that many people eat the same things.

This latest situation is impacting Chipotle restaurants in OR and Washington. At least 25 others are being observed for possible E. coli infection. “We’re still looking at everything, but from what we’ve heard from the people who got sick the produce seems the most probable source”. It briefly closed a restaurant in Simi Valley, CA, in August after 82 customers and 17 employees were sickened by Norovirus.

Food from the affected Chipotle stores also is being tested. How many people are infected? . ‘Health officials want people who have eaten at a Chipotle between October 14 and 23 and become ill with vomiting and bloody diarrhea to see their health-care provider and mention this outbreak’.

The company’s stock fell 2.5 percent to close at $624 on Monday. Health officials will determine when they can reopen.

“It wouldn’t surprise me to see more cases, and I’m being told that we have specimens cooking in the health laboratory, so we will be updating our case numbers daily”, Cieslack said.