Even more reports of E. coli at Chipotle
IMAGE: STEPHEN BRASHEAR/ASSOCIATED PRESS
A rough end to the year for casual fast food joint Chipotle just got rougher as the Center for Disease Control reports that the E. coli outbreak that has hit customers of the restaurant has spread to nine states, sickening over 50 people.
According to their most recent update, cases reported in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Maryland join cases previously reported in Washington, Oregon, California, Ohio, New York, and Minnesota.
A total of 53 cases have now been reported, the majority of them related to the October 2015 outbreak in the Pacific Northwest that resulted in dozens of locations being temporarily closed.
IMAGE: CDC
In addition to these confirmed cases, the CDC is also investigating an additional five cases in Kansas, North Dakota, and Oklahoma to see if these cases are related to the larger outbreak. Of those five cases, all five reported eating at Chipotle before falling ill.
According to the CDC: "46 (88%) of 52 people interviewed reported eating at a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant. The investigation is still ongoing to identify common meal items or ingredients causing illness."
In addition to the ongoing E. coli investigation, Chipotle is still reeling from a norovirus that originated at one of its Boston-area locations, sickening dozens of students at Boston College and other locals who ate food from the restaurant.
The chain's co-CEO and founder, Steve Ells, apologized to the public during a Today Show appearance on Dec. 10, promising that the strict new food-safety rules the company is planning will make it "the safest place to eat."
"It's a really tough time,'' Ells said. "I have to say I'm sorry for the people that got sick. They're having a tough time. I feel terrible about that, and we're doing a lot to rectify this and make sure it doesn't happen again."
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