Chipotle restaurants in Oregon and Washington were closed this weekend after they were linked to a Shiga toxic E. coli that sickened at least three Oregonians and 19 people in Washington.
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Chris Arnold, Chipotle’s communications director, said in a statement that the people who got sick ate at six different Chipotle restaurants.
“Anyone who thinks they may have become ill from eating at a Chipotle restaurant in the past three weeks should consult their healthcare provider”, epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lindquist said in a Washington Health Department statement.
One-third of the cases have been hospitalized but no one has died from the infection.
The safety and well-being of our customers is always our highest priority.
The Oregon Health Authority, Washington State Department of Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are all looking into the outbreak. People from areas like Washington counties in Oregon and Clark, Skagit, King and Cowlit counties have reported certain symptoms of the infection.
The illnesses have been reported so far in people ranging from ages 11 to 64, he said.
A number of Chipotles in the Portland metro area and Southwest Washington have closed amid an investigation by the Oregon Health Authority. We are working with health department officials to determine the cause of this issue. “We offer our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by this situation”.
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The restaurants under investigation are linked to 19 cases of E. coli illnesses in Washington. Even though humans can become infected with STEC after consuming food or drinks contaminated with bacteria, the most common cause of STEC infections is undercooked or contaminated ground beef. Symptoms may include vomiting, fever, chills, stomach cramps and watery bloody diarrhea.
