Eight people have been hospitalized but no deaths have been reported.
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Scientists also said Tuesday that they identified the specific microorganism responsible, which they believe was carried on fresh produce such as lettuce or tomatoes. Lindquist says officials may know by Wednesday what type of food tests positive for the same microorganism.
Dr. Hedberg said a few of those affected in OR could have gotten ill from E. coli that isn’t related to this outbreak, but that 90% of the people who have been interviewed reported having eaten at a Chipotle in October.
The chain of casual Mexican restaurants voluntarily closed 43 locations in the two states after health officials alerted them to a growing number of E. coli cases involving people who shared one common experience: a meal at Chipotle during the last two weeks.
Microbiologist Mi Kang works to identify a strain of E. coli from a specimen in a lab at the Washington State Dept. of Health Tuesday, November 3, 2015, in Shoreline, Wash.
While the company is scrubbing down its restaurants in the Northwest, doing its own testing of the supply chain and buying new food, they won’t reopen until health officials agree it’s safe.
Authorities believe fresh produce is the likely culprit, but the exact source of the contamination hasn’t been identified, and it is unclear if the contamination occurred at the farm level or at a Chipotle distribution center, Dr. Hedberg said.
The company said in a statement that it was working with local health departments to track down the source of the outbreak and was deep-cleaning restaurants in the affected area.
“Ideally, any of these trace-back systems should help”, said Jaydee Hanson, a senior policy analyst at the Center for Food Safety, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that promotes food safety and sustainable agriculture. Health officials will not know for sure until they find the source of the E. coli.
It’s also possible more stores will close in OR or other nearby states if the investigation finds E. coli cases beyond the current presumed limits of the outbreak.
Multi-state outbreaks have increased sharply in recent years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday.
At least 37 people have been sickened by the bacteria in two states, health officials said.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington state on Monday, cites at least 22 confirmed cases of E. coli in Washington and OR linked to the Chipotle outbreak and said the number is expected to rise.
Symptoms of E. coli infection include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting.
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Dr. Katrina Hedberg, OR state epidemiologist, says three people were hospitalized in OR, but all have been treated and released.
