E. Coli Outbreaks At Chipotle Restaurants ‘Appear To Be Over,’ CDC Says

According to latest report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these two outbreaks appear to be over, with the most recent illness started on December 1, 2015.

The second, smaller outbreak reportedly sickened five people with a different, but similar strain of E. coli as the first. As per the CDC, people can fall sick from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, which is commonly linked with foodborne illnesses.

In all, 22 people were hospitalized as a result. It can be hard to determine the source of an outbreak when a restaurant serves or cooks multiple ingredients together, according to the CDC.

The investigation in to the Chipotle Mexican Grill E. Coli outbreaks has come to an end.

Investigators have not been able to pinpoint the ingredient responsible for the contamination, people familiar with the government’s investigation told the Wall Street Journal.

Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold said in an email that the company has taken “significant steps” to improve the safety of its food. Chipotle is also undergoing a criminal investigation related to an August norovirus occurrence at a store in California.

Battling a windstorm of bad press following an E.coli outbreak at several locations nation wide, followed by several instances of norovirus that sickened hundreds who ate at the restaurant, Chipotle Mexican Restaurant is reportedly planning to declare the outbreak over.

Chipotle restaurant workers fill orders for customers on April 27, 2015 in Miami, Florida.

The analysis suggests that Chipotle’s same-store sales will likely remain negative through the third quarter of 2016, “barring a heroic promotional/marketing effort to win back customers in the coming months”, the analysts write. “Additionally, we have implemented unprecedented food safety standards with our suppliers, which make the food coming into our restaurants safer than ever before”.

When cases first emerged in 2015, the company shuttered dozens of restaurants and pledged to double-down on food safety protocols.

“Young adults represent the largest share of Chipotle’s overall traffic”, said Bonnie Riggs, NPD Group’s restaurant industry analyst. The fear of getting sick pushed the company’s December sales down 30% compared to the same month a year earlier.

The CDC added that it “cannot say with 100% certainty that there will be no more illnesses associated with this outbreak” because the cause still has not been identified.