Minnesota officials probe salmonella outbreak linked to Chipotle
State health officials are investigating salmonella cases linked to Chipotle restaurants in Minnesota. Forty-five cases have been reported to the Minnesota Department of Health since last week.
The number of ill people that are part of this outbreak is likely to be larger than the identified number of cases as more people become sick, the department said in a Thursday afternoon statement. The Minnesota cases of Salmonella Newport infection range in age from 15 to 67 years old and are from eight metro and greater Minnesota counties.
"Of the 34 people who have been interviewed to date, 32 ate or likely ate at 17 different Chipotle restaurant locations. Most of the restaurant locations are in the Twin Cities metro area, with one in St. Cloud and one in Rochester. Their meal dates range from Aug. 16 to Aug. 26 and they became ill between Aug. 20 and Aug. 29," the department said.
State investigators say they're working to identify a specific item as the source of the outbreak at the popular burrito restaurants. Chipotle, they added, "has changed the source of the suspect produce item under investigation. Between Aug. 16 and Aug. 26, Chipotle served more than 560,000 customers in Minnesota and has taken every appropriate measure to ensure that it is safe to eat in its restaurants."
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According to the health department:
The Chipotle locations involved to date are 7 Corners (Minneapolis), Bloomington, Calhoun, Crystal, Hopkins, Maple Grove, Maplewood, Minnetonka, Richfield, Ridgedale, Rochester, Shoreview, St. Cloud, St. Louis Park, St. Paul Lawson, Uptown, and US Bank Plaza (Minneapolis). However, it is possible that other locations in Minnesota could have been affected as well. At this time there is no indication that locations outside of Minnesota are involved.
The department said it's "confident that ongoing transmission at Chipotle as part of this outbreak has ended."
Health officials are also investigating a separate salmonella outbreak that sickened a dozen people. That outbreak is associated with cucumbers.