If the illness is traced to a food supplier, that supplier may be sending its products to other restaurants or grocery stores. Health officials will not know for sure until they find the source of the E. coli.
Other Food-Based Health Problems at Chipotle
Chipotle has faced two other recent foodborne outbreaks.
A salmonella outbreak linked to tomatoes sickened dozens of people in Minnesota beginning in August. In California, health workers said norovirus sickened nearly 100 customers and employees at a Chipotle restaurant in Simi Valley in mid-August.
Bill Marler, a Seattle food safety lawyer, says three problems within a couple of months means Chipotle isn’t paying enough attention to food safety.
Will Chipotle Be Closing More Restaurants?
So far the outbreak seems to be limited to Washington state and Oregon.
Chipotle says there hasn’t been any evidence of a link to other locations so they won’t be closing any more locations.
The company has 1,931 stores and each restaurant brings in about $2.5 million in revenue a year on average, according to Chipotle.
The company’s stock fell 2.5 percent to close at $624 on Monday.
What Is E.coli and How Do i Know if i Have it?
There are hundreds of E. coli and similar bacteria strains in the intestines of humans. Most are harmless, but a few can cause serious problems.
Symptoms of E. coli infection include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting. Health officials say the best defense against the bacterial illness is to thoroughly wash hands with soap and water.
Marisa D'Angeli, medical epidemiologist with the Washington State Department of Health, encourages anyone who has been sick with intestinal symptoms and has eaten at Chipotle since mid-October, to go see their doctor and get tested. She also said anyone with bloody diarrhea should go to the doctor whether they have eaten at Chipotle or not.
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