You Can Go Back to Chipotle Now: CDC Says Chipotle E. Coli Outbreak Is Over


Photo by flickr user Michael Saechang

Photo by flickr user Michael Saechang

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave Chipotle lovers (read: everyone) the okay to head back to their favorite fast-food destination on Monday, announcing on its website that two E. coli outbreaks linked to the chain “appear to be over.”

According to the CDC, investigations looked into several cases of “higa toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26,” the first of which affected 55 people in 11 states. A smaller outbreak of a different strain affected another five people.

In December, Pennsylvania was added to the list of states included in the outbreak, along with Illinois and Maryland, but Philadelphians can now seemingly breathe easy and go grab their favorite burrito free of concern. “We are pleased that the CDC has concluded its investigation, and we have offered our full cooperation throughout,” Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold told the Los Angeles Times.

Although no deaths were reported as a result of either of the outbreaks, 22 people were hospitalized across the country. The ingredient guilty for spreading the illness was not ascertained by the CDC; narrowing it down can be difficult when “a restaurant serves foods with several ingredients that are mixed or cooked together and then used in multiple menu items,” the CDC said.

Let’s just pray it wasn’t the guac, because no one wants to pay extra for E. coli.

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