A Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant in Billerica, Massachusetts was closed today because an employee tested positive for norovirus. A spokesman for the restaurant said that four of their employees were feeling sick, so the facility closed for a "full sanitization." The statement from Chipotle added that "no customers' illnesses are connected to this restaurant." They added that any sick employees should not come to work until they are well. Chipotle was the center of five food poisoning outbreaks last year; two were for E. coli, one for Salmonella, and two for norovirus. And the restaurant chain is facing many civil lawsuits filed by outbreak victims, as well as a lawsuit from stockholders, who claim that Chipotle made false and/or misleading statements and violated the Securities … [Read more...]
CDC Declares Chipotle E. coli O26 Outbreaks Over
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared the two outbreaks of E. coli O26 infections linked to Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants over. The most recent illness reported started two months ago, on December 1, 2015. At least 60 people in 14 states were sickened in this outbreak. There were no deaths, and 22 people were hospitalized. The first outbreak, which sickened at least 55 people, was detected by officials in Washington and Oregon in late October 2015, and gradually spread to other states around the country. The final case count by state for the larger outbreak is: California (3), Delaware (1), Illinois (1), Kentucky (1), Maryland (1), Minnesota (2), New York (1), Ohio (3), Oregon (13), Pennsylvania (2), and Washington (27). The illnesses in this … [Read more...]
CDC Investigating Another E. coli Outbreak at Chipotle in OK, KS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported today that they are investigating another E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. This new outbreak is a different strain of E. coli O26 bacteria from the older outbreak. That ongoing, older outbreak of E. coli O26 linked to those restaurants has sickened at least 53 people in 9 states. One more ill person who is part of the older outbreak has been reported from Pennsylvania since the last update. But that person did not eat at Chipotle the week before November 14, 2015, when the illness started. In the older outbreak, 20 ill persons (38%) have been hospitalized. The case count by state in that outbreak is: California (3), Illinois (1), Maryland (1), Minnesota (2), New York (1), Ohio (3), Oregon (13), … [Read more...]
Chipotle E. coli Outbreak Includes Akron Area Preschoolers
The Chipotle E. coli outbreak includes three people from the Akron area- siblings ages 2 and 3 and a 25-year-old man, according to WKRC. It is not known what the three of them ate before they became ill, but their answers to that question could help investigators solve the outbreak which has sickened 52 people in nine states. Six weeks in to the investigation, health investigators have not yet determined the food source. Hundreds of tests have been conducted but none has produced the result that could identify the source of contamination. The illnesses were reported from the following states: California (3), Illinois (1), Maryland (1), Minnesota (2), New York (1), Ohio (3), Oregon (13), Pennsylvania (1), and Washington (27). During interviews with health officials, case patients, … [Read more...]
Chipotle E. coli Outbreak’s Food Source Eludes Detection
One and a half months after the Chipotle E. coli outbreak began, the food source remains a mystery. Although this is the case for the majority of food poisoning outbreaks, it seems strange in this case for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that despite the company's extraordinary efforts to eliminate the problem, new cases - and cases in new states, were reported this week. The outbreak now includes 52 people in nine states. Since the last update, on November 20, the outbreak has expanded to include seven new illnesses and three additional states: Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Why is this strange? When the outbreak was first detected by Washington State health officials in late October, they believed it affected only Chipotle locations in Washington and … [Read more...]
Chipotle E. coli Outbreak Expands to 9 States, 52 Sick, 20 Hospitalized
The Chipotle E. coli outbreak has sickened 52 people in nine states, 20 of them have been hospitalized, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A food source has still not been determined. Since the last update, on November 20, the outbreak has expanded to include three more states: Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. And seven new illnesses from six states have been reported. Two of them started in October, five began in November. The most recent illnesses were reported from the following states: California (1), Illinois (1), Maryland (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (1), and Washington (1). That brings the total reported from each state to: California (3), Illinois (1), Maryland (1), Minnesota (2), New York (1), Ohio (3), Oregon … [Read more...]
Which Chipotle Restaurants are Part of the E. coli Outbreak?
The E. coli O26 outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in six states hasn't been updated in more than 10 days. This outbreak has been strange. The case count grew to include 50 patients, then that number was reduced to 37. Then the case count grew to 45 patients, and four more states were added to the outbreak base. As of November 20, 2015, there are 45 people sickened in six states. The case count per state is: California (2), Minnesota (2), New York (1), Ohio (1), Oregon (13), and Washington state (26). There are no reports of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and no deaths. No food or environmental samples have yielded the outbreak strain of the shiga toxin-producing bacteria. But 43, or 96%, of ill patients said they ate at a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant the week before they … [Read more...]
A Confusing Week in the Chipotle E. coli Outbreak Investigation
It was a confusing week in the Chipotle E. coli outbreak investigation. On Tuesday, November 17, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reduced the number of those sickened in Oregon and Washington from 50 to 37 and said no new cases had been reported since October 30. Three days later, November 20, the agency announced that the outbreak had expanded to include cases in four other states including Minnesota where a case had previously been identified but ruled out as part of the outbreak. That state now has two cases. What's more, the total number of those ill, now 45, includes two more cases in Washington and three cases that occurred after October 30. What does it all mean? The contaminated food has not been eliminated from the restaurant's supply chain as previously … [Read more...]
Chipotle Outbreak Expands to Six States, 45 Sick
The Chipotle E. coli outbreak, previously thought to involve only locations in Washington and Oregon now includes cases in six sates. At least, 45 people have been sickened, 16 have been hospitalized. The new states are California, Minnesota, New York and Ohio. By state the case count is as follows: California (2), Minnesota (2), New York (1), Ohio (1), Oregon (13), and Washington (26). The total of 45 illnesses is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which is including only the illnesses that have been confirmed by PulseNet as being infected with the outbreak strain of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli O26. Those sickened, who range in age from 2 years to 94, reported onset of illness dates ranging from October 19, 2015 to November 8, 2015. The median age is 22. … [Read more...]
FDA Investigates E. coli O26 Outbreak at Chipotle in WA and OR
The FDA is investigating the E. coli O26 outbreak at Chipotle restaurants in Washington state and Oregon. As of November 12, 2015, 50 people have been sickened in those states after eating at the restaurant chain. Fourteen people have been hospitalized. There have been no reports of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and no deaths in this outbreak to date. One outbreak strain of E. coli O26 has been included in this outbreak investigation. Thirty-three isolates from ill persons in Washington and Oregon have been uploaded to the CDC PulseNet database. All 33 people have been infected with the same DNA fingerprint of E. coli O26, which means they were all sickened at the same place or by the same source. All of the Chipotle restaurants that were voluntarily closed after this outbreak have … [Read more...]
