UPDATE: November 4, 2015 at 10:12 a.m.
Chipotle was slapped with a lawsuit on Tuesday by a Washington woman, Charmane Mode, who claims she contracted E. coli after eating at a Vancouver location of the chain on Oct. 21. Represented by Minneapolis law firm PritzkerOlsen, Mode says she became ill on Oct. 25, experiencing nausea and severe diarrhea, and sought treatment on Oct. 27.
This is Chipotle's third foodborne illness outbreak this year, prompting scrutiny to arise from consumers and competitors alike. "Having three problems in a couple of months means that Chipotle is not paying attention to food safety like it should," Bill Marler, a Seattle food safety lawyer who garnered national attention from the 1993 E. coli outbreak at Seattle Jack in the Box restaurants, told the Associated Press.
A total of 37 people have been affected by the illness, up from the original report of 22. So far, the illness has unofficially been traced back to six outposts of the fast-casual Mexican chain; however, the company will continue to voluntarily keep all locations in both Washington and Oregon closed as a precaution while the investigation continues.
ORIGINAL POST: November 2, 2015 at 10:31 a.m.
Chipotle voluntarily closed 43 of its stores in the Pacific Northwest in response to an E. coli outbreak linked to its restaurants, the Seattle Times reports. According to the Oregon Health Authority, there are at least 22 confirmed cases, including three in Oregon and 19 in Washington.
While there have been no deaths, the Seattle Times reports at least eight people have been hospitalized as a result. The OHA said there is a possibility the number of actual cases could be higher, since some people who have symptoms may not seek out medical care.
The OHA said anyone who ate at a Chipotle between Oct. 14-23 and suffered bloody diarrhea and vomiting should immediately contact a health care provider and discuss the outbreak with them. According to the OHA:
Most people infected develop watery and/or bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps within 1-10 days, with the average 3-4 days. Most illnesses resolve on their own within 7 days. Most people recover within a week but, rarely, some develop a severe type of kidney failure that can begin as the diarrhea is improving and is most common in children under five years old and the elderly.
One woman who was diagnosed with E. coli described her symptoms to KGW. "My body was in aches, and pains," she said. "I was nauseous, I couldn't hold anything down. I couldn't eat anything."
According to the Seattle Times, officials have yet to determine which food specifically at Chipotle was contaminated. Chipotle released a statement about the outbreak on Sunday:
"The safety and wellbeing of our customers is always our highest priority. After being notified by health department officials in the Seattle 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, even though the vast majority of these restaurants have no reported problems. We are working with health department officials to determine the cause of this issue. We offer our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by this situation."
For more information on E. coli, you can visit the Oregon Health Authority.
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