The Oregon Health Authority said they have 12 confirmed cases of Shiga toxin E. coli.
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Dr. Scott Lindquist, Washington state epidemiologist, says he’s keeping an open mind about the reach of the outbreak but is hopeful officials have stopped the spread of the illness by closing Chipotle restaurants in Washington state and the Portland, Oregon, area.
Chipotle restaurants in OR and Washington shut down on Friday due to an E. coli outbreak.
The Medford location was not affected.
Health officials expect the number of people sickened to grow while they investigate the cause of the infection. People stricken with E. coli most commonly suffer watery or bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps one to 10 days after consuming contaminated food.
Officials are asking anyone who became sick with vomiting and bloody diarrhea after eating at a Chipotle during October to see their doctor and mention the outbreak.
“The safety of our customers and integrity of our food supply has always been our highest priority”, said Steve Ells, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle in the statement.
Following news of the outbreak, Chipotle shares dropped as much as 5 percent Monday morning, Bloomberg reported.
As explained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most E. coli strains are generally harmless and can be found inside the intestine and aid in proper digestion.
At 2 p.m., watch a news briefing on E. coli outbreak sickening 25 in Wash.
The company immediately closed 43 restaurants in both states even if eight restaurants were tied to the E.coli cases.
The rest of the Washington cases are in King (6), Skagit (4), Cowlitz (2) and Island (2) counties.
Food from six Chipotle stores connected with the outbreak is being tested.
Jonathan Modie, a spokesman for the Oregon Public Health Division, told CNBC that the agency has received at least 100 calls and e-mails from people who had recently eaten at Chipotle in the state and became ill.
Health experts, however, believe the initiative increases the risk of foodborne infections because it eliminates the cooking process in food preparation, which could kill numerous pathogens that cause illnesses. However, health experts warn that more cases are imminent as there are likely several people who have caught the intestinal bug but have yet to seek medical care.
The chain of casual Mexican restaurants voluntarily closed 43 locations in the two states after health officials alerted the company to a growing number of E. coli cases involving people who shared one common experience: a meal at Chipotle during the last two weeks. The Company’s restaurants also feature outdoor patio space.
On Friday, confused customers were left looking for another place to grab dinner after Chipotle locations mysteriously closed.
Price was shocked to find the doors locked at a Chipotle in Northwest Portland. “We’ll get Thai food”.
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A sign seen on the door of a Portland Chipotle restaurant, November 1 2015.
