Chipotle's E. Coli Outbreak Hits Illinois

By Emma G. Gallegos in Food on Dec 8, 2015 4:07PM

WHY GOD

Chipotle's nationwide E. coli outbreak has arrived in Illinois.

The Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed Monday that they were investigating an E. coli case linked to Chipotle's national outbreak, according to the Tribune. Illinois officials say that a sample of E. coli from the infected person is being tested right now, which is the best way to definitively link the illness to this wider outbreak. They have released information about which restaurant was affected or in what city.

The Associated Press reports there have been 52 cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in nine states: Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington, California, Minnesota, New York and Ohio.

Chipotle still doesn't know which ingredient is the culprit in the outbreak, but they announced tighter safety food standards on Friday. Shares have fallen for the company, and sales are expected to have gone down since the first cases appeared in late October.