But that’s not surprising, they said.
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“Unfortunately, that’s pretty normal”, Kaisner said. “It’s not unusual to not be able to find the source of a foodborne-illness outbreak”. Tests of food at the Mexican food chain have come back negative for E. coli, and officials have concluded there’s no ongoing risk.
Rather, it’s to the contrary, they said.
The restaurants, which are located in OR and Washington, have all had deep cleanings and will reopen with fresh ingredients. “We are leaving no stone unturned in terms of finding ways to improve upon our practices”. A series of sterilizations and tests were done, as well as a replacement of all ingredients at the sites, the NY Times reported. He said his client only contacted him recently in wake of the latest outbreak.
“They’ve demonstrated their commitment to food safety by voluntarily closing their facilities and then taking proactive steps early on”, he said. Seattle attorney Bill Marler wonders.
Khalil Rouse, a manager at the Apalachee Parkway location expressed that despite the recent outbreaks Tallahassee Chipotle restaurants have not seen a decline in their sales.
And tests on almost 25 food samples from Chipotle locations in OR also found no E. coli.
Five Chipotle restaurants in Washington are associated with this outbreak: Hazel Dell, 7715 NE 5 Avenue, Suite 109, in Vancouver; 1404 Broadway Avenue and 4229 University Way NE in Seattle; 512 Ramsey Way 101 in Kent; and 1753 S. Burlington Blvd.in Burlington.
State and local health officials continue to work with federal health officials to investigate this outbreak. “And that’s what drives me insane”. The last confirmed case in OR was reported on October 24. It can cause bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, and vomiting, and sometimes result in severe, life-threatening illness which can, in a few cases, be fatal.
About 48 million cases of foodborne disease occur in the US annually, sending about 105,000 people to the hospital and resulting in 2,000 deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It took us a while to make the connection between the sick people and Chipotle”, James Apa, spokesman for King County Public Health, said in an email. Meanwhile inside, a uniformed crew wiped down countertops and equipment.
Many of these illnesses involve people eating at home, but even restaurant-related outbreaks are fairly common, said Dr. Paul Cieslak, medical director for communicable diseases at Oregon’s state health agency.
But the department said from now on they will do a better job of notifying the public about these outbreaks.
Fifteen people have contracted E. coli in OR, with four of them hospitalized.
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Chipotle Chairman Steve Ells apologized to those affected by the outbreak.
