WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a new cluster of E. coli cases in the Midwest that is linked to Chipotle Mexican Grill.
This instance is different from the one reported earlier this year.
“This is a different strain,” said Dr. Ian Williams, the CDC’s chief of the outbreak and prevention branch. “They are still the same type of E. coli.”
It’s called E. coli -026, in the same sera group, but a different fingerprint than the previous outbreak. The symptoms are the same for both strains, including gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea. In severe cases, the illness could lead to hospitalization and even kidney failure.
Now, the CDC wants to figure out where it came from.
“One of the things we’re working in the investigation is could these things be related or not,” Williams said. “We never figured out in the original investigation what the contaminated ingredient was.”
So, with a list of food-borne illnesses connected to the chain in the past few months, should you just stay away?
“We really do understand the consumers who have questions about whether it’s safe to eat at Chipotle,” Williams said. “But, right now, we don’t have evidence of what the contaminated ingredient is and how this might all tie together. But we are concerned about this new group of cases, and we’re going to continue to investigate and we’ll reevaluate our advice to consumers if we think there is an ongoing risk.”
Williams said there are agencies out there keeping an eye on things for us.
“We really rely on local health departments to do those inspections of restaurants to make sure they’re really up to code,” Williams said. “We hope when we walk into a restaurant they are following the recommended practices and are being inspected appropriately.”
However, he said, we can take on some responsibility for our food.
“There are a number of things you can do in order to make sure the food you are eating is safer,” Williams said.
“Make sure your hamburgers are cooked [appropriately] when you go into a store. Don’t ask for rare hamburgers, things like that. Make sure you are following general food safety recommendations. These cases seem to occur in a relatively short time and then stop.”
