Between 19th October and 1st December 2015, the CDC reported an outbreak of the Escherichia coli O26 (STEC 026) in Delaware, California, Illinois, Oregon, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. The CDC linked the outbreak to Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants.
The intestinal symptoms of E. coli infection show up within the first five days after infection and may include:
Loss of appetite
Gas
Nausea
Vomiting
Fatigue
Sudden watery diarrhea that may turn to bloody stool
Cramping of the abdomen
Fever
In severe cases, the skin becomes pale, urine in blood, a decrease in urine output, and dehydration (Pietrangelo and Kim).
Infected people per state include
Another short outbreak of a different strain of STEC O26 occurred in December 2015 affecting Kansas and North Dakota infecting one person each and Oklahoma three people.
The outbreak affected people from age 1 to 94 years with fifty-seven percent being females and twenty-one people (38%) hospitalized. No deaths recorded for either outbreak.
Causing Organism
Escherichia coli O26 mostly abbreviated E. coli. It is a bacteria found in the intestine of animals and humans. Although most of the E. coli bacteria are harmless, some a pathogenic and spread through contaminated water or food to people. It follows that poor handling of food would transmit E. coli. Foods that can spread E. coli include poorly cooked beef, raw vegetables and fruits, contaminated water, raw/unpasteurized milk and related products, and contaminated fresh juice.
Chipotle could have handled food hygienically to stop the infections. In this case, cleaning of fresh fruits, treating water, and cooking beef property as well as avoiding cross-contamination using cleans pans, utensils, and serving plates, and keeping raw meat away from other foods or cooked one can stop the spread of E. coli.
Works cited
CDC. "Multistate Outbreaks of Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia Coli O26 Infections Linked to Chipotle Mexican Grill Restaurants (Final Update)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. Available at <http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2015/o26-11-15/index.html>
Pietrangelo, Ann & Kim, Steven. "E. Coli Infection." Healthline. N.p., 15 Oct. 2015. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. Available at <http://www.healthline.com/health/e-coli-infection#Overview1>
