Chipotle Lawsuit Help – The Weinberg Law Firm is currently assisting victims of food poisoning outbreaks nationwide. We are ready to help you too. Please call 1-877-934-6274 for a free legal consultation.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that as of November 6, 2015, 41 people have been sickened in an E. coli food poisoning outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in Oregon and Washington state. Washington has reported 28 confirmed E. coli outbreak cases, requiring 10 patient hospitalizations and Oregon has reported 13 confirmed E. coli cases, requiring 4 patient hospitalizations.
The CDC reported that E.coli isolates obtained from 16 Chipotle E. coli outbreak victims were identified as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC O26). All of the isolates had the same “DNA fingerprint”. Thirteen of the E. coli isolates were obtained from ill people in Washington and 3 isolates were from people sickened in Oregon, linking the victims to the same outbreak.
A review of the CDC’s PulseNet database also identified a Minnesota resident as being infected with E. coli STEC O26 that had the same DNA fingerprint as the E.coli isolates from the Oregon and Washington outbreak victims. The CDC reported that this ill person did not eat at a Chipotle in the week before becoming ill. The agency believes that this illness does not appear to be related to the outbreak in Washington and Oregon.
Washington State Department of Health E. coli Outbreak Update – November 6, 2015
The Washington State Department of Health (WSDH) reported that 28 confirmed cases of E. coli infection were reported in the following counties: residents of Clark (11), Cowlitz (3), Island (2), King (6), Skagit (5), and Whatcom (1). Most of these 28 reported cases say they were at Chipotle restaurants before getting sick. Ten of the Washington residents were hospitalized. Cases range in age from 1-to-60.
Restaurants associated with the outbreak. – Five Chipotle restaurants in Washington are associated with this outbreak: Hazel Dell, 7715 NE 5th Avenue, Suite 109, in Vancouver; 1404 Broadway Avenue and 4229 University Way NE in Seattle; 512 Ramsey Way 101 in Kent; and 1753 S. Burlington Blvd. in Burlington.
Oregon Health Authority E. coli Outbreak Update – November 6, 2015
In their Chipotle E. coli outbreak update, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported that people in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties, as well as Columbia, Benton and Deschutes counties have reported symptoms. Thirteen confirmed cases, resulting in 4 hospitalizations were reported in Multonomah, Clackamas, Columbia, and Washington counties.
Oregon Chipotle Restaurants Close – Chipotle has closed at least 14 of its restaurants in the Portland metro area (Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties).
Advice From Public Health Officials
Health officials want people who have eaten at a Chipotle during October 2015, and then became ill with vomiting and bloody diarrhea, to see their health care provider and mention this outbreak.
Diagnosing E. coli Foodborne Illness
A diagnosis of E. coli foodborne illness can usually be confirmed by performing a stool culture, a type of laboratory test that can detect the presence of the bacterium in an infected person’s stool. Your doctor can order a stool culture if he or she thinks testing is necessary.
About E. coli and E. coli Symptoms and Complications
E. coli is a type of bacterium that lives in the intestines of healthy humans and animals. While many strains of E. coli are harmless, some strains are capable of producing a powerful toxin known as Shiga toxin, and can cause severe, life-threatening illness. These pathogenic strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli are often referred to as “STEC.”
Symptoms of E. coli infection may include severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Sometimes a low-grade fever is present. Children and the elderly are at greatest risk for suffering complications resulting from E. coli infection, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombocytopenia purpura (TTP).
Contact The Weinberg Law Firm For Chipotle Lawsuit Help
The Weinberg Law Firm is currently assisting victims of food poisoning outbreaks nationwide including those sickened in the Chipotle E. coli outbreak. If you or a loved one was sickened and you have a question regarding a Chipotle lawsuit, please call our law firm at 1-877-934-6274. You can also contact us online by using the “Free Legal Case Evaluation Form” found on this page.
