Source: Joe Raedle / Getty
Chipotle has temporarily closed dozens of its restaurants in Washington and Oregon out of caution after an E. coli scare. The Washington State Department of Health said no one has died in the reported cases of infection.
However seven of the Washington patients and one Oregon patient were hospitalized. Chris Collins of Portland, Oregon, went to an urgent care center two days after eating at a Chipotle restaurant and he told CNN affiliate KATU “I’ve never gotten sick like this. The excruciating pain in my abdomen was something I’ve never experienced. It feels like your guts are being ripped out.”
The urgent care center immediately sent him to a hospital emergency room. The department said the source of contamination is unknown but 19 cases in Washington and three cases in Oregon have been linked to a handful of locations of the Mexican-themed restaurant chain.
Although the cases are being investigated in connection with six locations in the Seattle and Portland areas, Chipotle has temporarily closed 43 stores.
Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold said in a statement “We immediately closed all of our restaurants in the area out of an abundance of caution, even though the vast majority of these restaurants have no reported problems.” Chipotle is working with health departments to help determine the cause of the cases.
Infections with Escherichia coli can cause severe stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea which is often bloody. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fever is usually low, if at all present.
Infections can range from mild to life-threatening. E. coli bacteria are commonly found in human and animal intestines and are a key component of healthy digestion. According to the CDC most strains are harmless but some are not. It says “Infections start … when you get tiny (usually invisible) amounts of human or animal feces in your mouth.”
The CDC says this happens surprisingly often, and many times no infection results. Common sources of infection are human and animal contact in the farming industry.
However harmful E. coli can also make their way into food ingredients. Food handlers carrying harmful E. coli can pass the bacteria on by not thoroughly washing their hands before performing their work.
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