NEW YORK—An outbreak of E. coli linked to Chipotle that originated in the Pacific Northwest has spread south and east and has now infected people in six states.
New cases have been reported in California, New York and Ohio, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. The first cases were discovered late last month in Oregon and Washington, and more recently in Minnesota.
Investigators have yet to determine the specific ingredient linked to the illness.
So far, 45 people have been infected, with 43 of them saying they ate at Chipotle in the week before they became sick. The CDC said it is aware of illnesses starting on dates ranging from Oct. 19 to Nov. 8. The agency said that illnesses that took place after Oct. 31 may not have been reported yet.
On news Friday that the outbreak had spread, shares of Chipotle plunged more than 12 percent to a new low for the year.
Chipotle said affected individuals reported eating at restaurants in Turlock, California; Akron, Ohio; Amherst, New York and Burnsville, Minnesota. The company said it is not aware of any employees who have become ill.
Bill Marler, a Seattle attorney representing people who have been sickened, said the spread of the outbreak will make it easier to determine the source.
“It helps investigators link up to a perishable item,” Marler said. “What they’re really focusing on right now is the supply chain. What’s the common denominator? Who supplied what product to these stores?”
Of those sickened, two have been in California, two in Minnesota, one in New York, one in Ohio, 13 in Oregon and 26 in Washington, according to the CDC.
Sixteen people have been hospitalized, but there have been no deaths, the agency said.
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