WASHINGTON — Washington and Oregon cases include 40 sickened in the E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants, as of Thursday afternoon.
QUICK FACTS
- 40 sickened across northwest in Ore. and Wash.
- 28 sickened in Wash.
- Nearly all 28 sickened in Wash. report eating at Chipotle
- The culprit has not been determined
Chipotle closed 43 of its Pacific Northwest locations in response. KIRO 7 News found employees scrubbing the Capitol Hill location overnight, trying to clean every surface.
Twenty-eight cases are being investigated in Washington state, which is working closely with Oregon and its 12 cases.
On Wednesday, officials were investigating 29 cases in Washington. On Thursday, one Washington E. coli patient had been "ruled out" after additional testing, bringing the number to 28.
Where in Washington are people getting sick?
In Washington, residents of Clark (11), Cowlitz (3), Island (2), King (6), Skagit (5), and Whatcom (1) counties have been reported as outbreak cases. Of the 29, nearly all reported having eaten at Chipotle restaurants before getting sick. Ten of the Washington residents were hospitalized.
Washington Department of Health reports cases range in age from 1 to 67.
What do we know about the source?
Washington state health officials have identified the specific microorganism responsible for the E. coli outbreak tied to Chipotle restaurants in the Pacific Northwest.
Dr. Scott Lindquist, state epidemiologist, says knowing the type of E. coli that's sickened nearly two-dozen people will help officials determine the exact source of the illness.
The E. coli strain sickening northwest residents is called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain.
Food from Chipotle stores connected with the outbreak is being tested. Lindquist says officials may know by late Wednesday what type of food tests positive for the same microorganism. They've asked Chipotle to turn over information about its food suppliers so officials can determine where the product came from.
None with E. coli have experienced dangerous complications so far.
Two people do not believe they ate at Chipotle at all during the past few weeks. They may help provide clues about where the E. coli came from or they could be mistaken, health officials have said.
Health officials believe the culprit will likely be fresh food such as lettuce or tomatoes, but they won't know for sure until the testing and interviewing is complete.
The five Washington Chipotle restaurants linked to the E. coli outbreak are located at: Hazel Dell, 7715 NE 5th 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.
Could people get sick eating from somewhere else?
It's possible all the people who have gotten sick have something else in common, other than Chipotle. It's also possible the full extent of the outbreak has not been discovered.
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.
If the illness is traced to a food supplier, the business may be sending its products to other restaurants or grocery stores. Health officials will not know for sure until they find the source of the E. coli.
Officials planned to share an update on their investigation at a Tuesday afternoon briefing.
Have other food-based problems been tied to Chipotle?
KIRO 7 News learned on Tuesday about an E. coli outbreak at Chipotle in July. Dr. Jeff Duchin with the Seattle-King County Health Department said because it was contained and not spreading, the health department didn't tell the media. Now, health officials are considering changing that policy because "people want to know."
The chain faced a salmonella outbreak linked to tomatoes that sickened dozens of people in Minnesota beginning in August. In California, health workers said norovirus sickened nearly 100 customers and employees at a Chipotle restaurant in Simi Valley in mid-August.
Bill Marler, a Seattle food safety lawyer, says three problems within a couple of months means Chipotle isn't paying enough attention to food safety.
Will Chipotle be closing more restaurants?
So far, the outbreak appears limited to Washington state and Oregon. Chipotle says there is no evidence of a link to other locations, so it won't be closing any more restaurants.
The company says it has 1,931 locations, and each restaurant brings in about $2.5 million in revenue a year on average. Chipotle's stock fell 2.5 percent to close at $624 on Monday.
What is E. coli and how do I know if I have it?
There are hundreds of E. coli and similar bacteria strains in the intestines of humans. Most are harmless, but a few can cause serious problems.
Symptoms of E. coli infection include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting.
Marisa D'Angeli, medical epidemiologist with the Washington State Department of Health, encourages anyone who has been sick with intestinal symptoms and has eaten at Chipotle since mid-October to go to the doctor and get tested.
She also said anyone with bloody diarrhea should go to the doctor whether they have eaten at Chipotle or not.
KIRO