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Chipotle Mexican Grill has temporarily closed 43 of its US restaurants for investigation into the cause of illness reported by at least 20 people in Washington and Oregon – 17 had eaten at the popular restaurant chain during October. There is speculation that the illness is linked to the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and may have originated from a fresh food product used at Chipotle.
There are no reported deaths, although eight people were hospitalized. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, warns symptoms of this strain of E. coli can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, vomiting and can be life-threatening.
Marisa D’Angeli, Washington State Department of Health epidemiologist, expects the number of cases to rise as the public learns about the outbreak, saying, “We actually would expect there might be a jump in cases”.
The CDC also reports, “This pathotype is the one most commonly heard about in the news in association with foodborne outbreaks,” which, surprisingly are not uncommon. They estimate that “each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne illnesses.”
Telsey Advisory Group noted, “Most every chain restaurant is vulnerable to the outbreak of food-borne pathogens and Chipotle is not immune”, according to research analyst Bob Derrington. The restaurant is recovering from another recent outbreak in September that sickened dozens in Minnesota, as well as a case of norovirus linked to a Chipotle in California — causing almost 100 customers to become ill this summer.
Chipotle spokesman, Chris Arnold, said “Timing of reopening will be determined by progress of the investigation. Right now, it is our priority to work through that process with health department officials.”
D’Angeli says it is very early in the investigation that will include interviews with those who fell ill, as well as analyzing test samples at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, lab to identify the specific link between the illnesses and the food.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Foodsafety.gov, says the effects of food poisoning can have long-term effects that can be “devastating and even deadly”. The website states that some serious effects associated with several common types of food poisoning can include kidney failure, chronic arthritis, brain and nerve damage, and death.
Bob Mackiver, spokesperson for Fucoidan Reviews, a well-known and trusted international health company, explains, “People often come in contact with bacterial endotoxins, such as E. Coli, and may not realize that these exposures can be chronic. This can become serious or develop into endotoxemia causing acute illness, as well as leading to significantly dangerous long-term health conditions if left untreated.”
Fucoidan Reviews is dedicated to raising public awareness through providing the latest research, health news, and support, in an ongoing effort to help empower people to make well-informed health decisions. Learn more at http://www.fucoidanreviews.com/
Release ID: 96024