More than 300 people across 27 states have been sickened with a potentially deadly bacteria after eating jalapeños from Chipotle.
Federal health officials have recorded 345 cases of salmonella which they linked to Mexican-style quick-service restaurants. As of Wednesday, 36 people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the jalapeños, supplied by California-based Coast Citrus Distributors and imported from Mexico, are the likely source of infection.
The peppers were served at Chipotle, Qdoba and other restaurants, the agency added. Of the 27 states, Minnesota and Colorado reported the highest number of salmonella cases with 110 each. Illinois trailed behind with 30, and Kansas followed reporting 13.
Other affected states include Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Investigators interviewed 191 patients, of which 93 percent said they had eaten jalapeños at Chipotle or other restaurants before falling ill.
But health officials warn the true toll is likely far higher, saying that most people infected are never tested for an infection.
Chipotle and Qdoba both removed the jalapeños from their restaurants and the CDC assured there is no ongoing risk at either chain since they were taken off the menu.
More than 300 people have been sickened with salmonella after eating jalapenos at Chipotle
Federal health officials have recorded 345 cases of salmonella which they linked to Mexican-style quick-service restaurants including Qdoba
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an investigation into the outbreak on July 22, after a cluster of Minnesota residents fell ill after eating at Chipotle.
The FDA said they looked into ‘multiple ingredients’ linked to the outbreak, but have not named any additional restaurants or suppliers. The administration is also looking to see if the peppers were distributed to grocery stores.
It comes amid a major outbreak of cyclosporiasis in the US which has been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms that was sold at Taco Bell and other stores. More than 15 states have now been linked to this outbreak, which has sickened thousands.
Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs and food safety officer, said: ‘We have a robust ingredient traceability system and, upon learning of a potential Salmonella outbreak in the supply chain impacting several food service retailers, we proactively identified jalapeños as a potential common ingredient from a common lot.
‘We removed them from the restaurants where they had been distributed, and replaced them with product from different growers.’
Salmonella is primarily spread by consuming foods or drinks contaminated with the bacteria.
Healthy people infected with salmonella often suffer from fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, which clears within a few days. In serious cases, however, patients can suffer from potentially fatal complications including sepsis.
Health officials warn very young children, older adults and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk from salmonella infections.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the jalapeños – supplied by California-based Coast Citrus Distributors and imported from Mexico – are the source of infection
In a statement, the Minnesota Department of Health said it was no longer concerned about further infections triggered by Chipotle, saying the jalapeños had been pulled from shelves.
Carlota Medus, a senior epidemiologist at the department, said: ‘Chipotle has fully collaborated on every aspect of this investigation; ranging from providing records and information about the foods they receive at their restaurants, as well as implementing mitigation steps right away to prevent further transmission.’
It was not clear what caused the outbreak, but jalapeños can be contaminated with bacteria if they are irrigated with water contaminated with animal feces.
Chipotle has faced a series of severe E coli, salmonella and norovirus outbreaks across multiple US states dating back to 2015.
In August 2018, 624 people fell sick with severe stomach problems after eating at just one Chipotle restaurant in Ohio. Patients were infected with Clostridium perfringens, a common cause of food poisoning in the US.
Another 200 people were sickened during a norovirus outbreak at a California restaurant in 2015, before 133 fell ill with the same disease at a Virginia outlet in 2017.
In 2020, the company paid a $25 million fine to settle criminal charges linked to outbreaks that sickened more than 1,100 people. The case involved food-safety failures, not a contaminated ingredient.
Salmonella is most common in poultry, red meat, dairy products, eggs, fish, fruits and vegetables.
Salmonella accounts for about one in four diarrheal diseases worldwide
The Minnesota Department of Health said it was no longer concerned about further infections triggered by Chipotle, saying the jalapeños had been pulled from shelves
The bacterium infects 1.3 million Americans every year. Most people recover within days, though the illness is responsible for more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths a year.
Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps that begin six hours to six days after initial infection, according to the CDC.
Unlike most bacteria, once consumed, some strains of salmonella can survive the stomach acid and travel into the intestines.
Once there, they burrow into the cells lining the organ, causing inflammation, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. The bacteria may also enter the bloodstream and travel to other organs.
People can catch salmonella after eating contaminated food, drinking fluids laced with the bacteria or touching the droppings of infected animals.
People can also catch salmonella from others via touching surfaces that have been contaminated with the feces of a sick patient.
Symptoms are triggered within six hours to six days of infection, with patients told to call their doctor if diarrhea or vomiting lasts more than two days, if they notice blood in their urine or feces, develop a high fever or show signs of dehydration.
