Chipotle E. Coli Outbreak Spread to Six States, 45 people affected

Chipotle Mexican Grill made the headlines early November due to an E.coli outbreak, and now it has reportedly spread to six states, infecting 45 people.

According to the International Business Times the first reported outbreak was on October 19, which later on spread to Washington with 26 people affected, and in Oregon where 13 were affected. Now, the outbreak has spread beyond the Pacific Northwest. Reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there are two cases in California, two more in Minnesota, one in Ohio, and one in New York. The latest case was reported November 8.

In a report by the Oregon Live, the CDC determined that the source of the sickness points to Chipotle, which is most likely from the outbreak. CDC uses a precise technique involving whole genome sequencing. This makes it easier for them to track down the DNA fingerprint.

Washington state epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lingdquist said, "We don't know if it's an ongoing produce issue or whether these are cases that are from October that are just now coming to light."

The Business Insider reported that shares of the company went down Friday by more than 12 percent to almost $535 a share after the news of the outbreak hit. This is the lowest level it has been since the outbreak started. Chipotle said it is taking aggressive steps to make sure its food is safe. Chipotle closed down 43 stores in the Washington state, as well as in the Portland area.

"In Chipotle's case, there are a lot of answers that need to be found," said Boston Northeastern University professor Daren Detwiler. "When you have three outbreaks in the same restaurant, you can't be reactive, you have to be proactive. I work with many companies that are proactive, but employee training at restaurants is paramount."

There are no reported deaths from the outbreak. There are also no reports of severe infection and kidney failure.