Coli outbreak linked to Chipotle expands to 6 states

A E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has spread to six states, including California and NY, underscoring that the food-poisoning crisis is not over for the restaurant operator.

The outbreak has so far sickened 26 people in Washington, 13 in OR, two in California, two in Minnesota, one in NY, and one in Ohio.

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.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention have insisted that, according to their evidence, meals from Chipotle Mexican Grill were the “likely source of the outbreak”.

“If it was closer to home, you might think about it more”, said the customer, who declined to give his name. There have been no deaths reported from the outbreak. Cases in California, NY and OH were referenced for the first time in the November 20 CDC update, with no explanation.

The news that it has now extended to half a dozen states could have huge repercussions for Chipotle Mexican Grill, as it was previously believed that this outbreak had just affected the northwest. At least, 45 people have been sickened, 16 have been hospitalized.

“The source of the problem appears to have been contained during a period in late October”, the release states. Chipotle officials said the chain has taken aggressive steps to make sure their restaurants are as safe as possible.

The company stated in its discussion of risks to its business in its most recent annual report: “We may be at a higher risk for food-borne illness outbreaks than a few competitors due to our use of fresh produce and meats rather than frozen, and our reliance on employees cooking with traditional methods rather than automation”. “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”.

Symptoms, which include diarrhea and abdominal pain, usually begin two to eight days after a person has been exposed to the bacteria and resolve within a week.