Chipotle Mexican Grill reportedly shut down 43 of their restaurants in Washington and Oregon states due to an outbreak of E.coli.
According to the Washington Post, eight have been hospitalized out of the 22 cases reported by state health officials. No deaths have occurred.
"After being notified by health department officials in the Seattle (Wash.) and Portland, Ore. areas that they were investigating approximately 20 cases of E. coli, including people who ate at six of our restaurants in those areas, we immediately closed all of our restaurants in the area out of an abundance of caution," Chipotle said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
“The Oregon Health Authority and health officials in Washington state are investigating Shiga toxin-producing E. coli cases linked to Chipotle restaurants in Oregon and Washington. As of October 31, 2015, there have been three cases in Oregon and 19 in Washington,” said the Oregon Health Authority.
According to Bloomberg, Chipotle's shares in the market suffered a decline due to the infection. The Mexican food chain has dropped 2.5 percent to close at $624 in the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, which meant half a billion dollars less from its market value.
Earlier in September, a tomato-derived Salmonella outbreak happened in Minnesota, wherein dozens of infections were linked to Chipotle restaurants. Over the summer, around 80 Chipotle customers were infected with norovirus in California.
“Most every chain restaurant is vulnerable to the outbreak of food-borne pathogens, and Chipotle is not immune,” said Bob Derrington, an analyst at Telsey Advisory Group, as per Bloomberg.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Escherichia coli, or E.coli, normally live in the intestines of humans and animals. Although some are harmless and are actually part of the normal, healthy human digestive tract, some strains can cause illnesses, like diarrhea or other illness outside the intestinal tract.
Shiga toxin-producing E.coli, the strain believed to be the cause of the illnesses, affects the young and the elderly. Symptoms stemming from this strain include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.
"We offer our deepest sympathies to those that have been affected by this situation," Chipotle told Reuters.
Currently, it is unclear as to when Chipotle will reopen in the two states.
“Timing of reopening will be determined by progress of the investigation,” Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold told Bloomberg in an e-mail. “Right now, it is our priority to work through that process with health department officials.”
