Only one case has been reported in OH, the CDC said. Chipotle said affected individuals reported eating at restaurants in Turlock, California; Akron, OH; Amherst, NY and Burnsville, Minnesota. Subsequently, 13 people in OR also became sick, along with two people in Minnesota and California, as well as, one victim each in NY and Ohio.
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Seattle attorney Bill Marler, who is representing almost three dozen people affected by the outbreak in OR and Washington state, told Reuters the increase in reported cases raises the likelihood that the culprit will be identified.
So far, the CDC says 45 people have been infected and that 16 of them have been hospitalized. There have been no deaths.
Investigators believe a common meal item or ingredient served at the restaurants is a likely source of this outbreak, but have not yet singled out what that might be.
Following the outbreak, the popular burrito chain closed 43 restaurants in OR and Washington in late October.
Chipotle shut down its 43 restaurants in Washington and OR on Halloween, but re-opened them on November 11.
Chipotle says it has responded aggressively to the E. coli outbreak.
The outbreak of E. Coli bacteria associated with the Chipoltle restaurant chain has snow spread to six states including Ohio. Friday, though, the CDC said an additional six cases have been reported outside of those states. The company shuttered locations in those areas for more than a week as authorities investigated the E. coli outbreak. But that person didn’t eat at Chipotle in the week before getting ill, the agency said. Chipotle shares have also suffered, slipping 12.3 percent to $536.19 at the close of Friday’s trading.
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It was not immediately clear whether the outbreak is contained to Chipotles, or if contaminated food may have been supplied to other restaurants as well. “On behalf of all of us, I’d like to offer our sincerest apologies and assure all of our customers that we are doing everything possible to make our food as safe as it can be”. “We will leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety of our food”.
