Three new states today reported E. coli infections in the same strain as the Chipotle outbreak in the Pacific Northwest earlier this fall, according to a statement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While the investigation hasn't officially linked the latest outbreak to Chipotle Mexican Grill, 43 of the 45 people in the most recent outbreak reported eating at Chipotle in the week before they became ill. Sixteen people have been hospitalized.
E. coli is caused by consuming food contaminated with the E. coli bacteria and can travel easily from person to person, which is why health experts recommend thorough handwashing as a defense against the bacteria, especially before preparing food. E. coli symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain nausea and vomiting in some people, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The CDC recommends contacting your health care provider if you develop diarrhea after eating at Chipotle. The fast-food chain is already facing several unrelated food poisoning lawsuits, one related to a norovirus infection in California and another to a summer salmonella outbreak in Minnesota.
So far, no specific food item has been identified as the culprit in the latest outbreak.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story referred to E. coli as a virus. In fact, it is a bacteria.
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