Two outbreaks of E. coli linked to Chipotle have been declared over by the government, ending months of headaches for the beloved burrito chain.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday that two outbreaks of the food-borne bacteria connected to the restaurant’s eateries appear to hae ended. In the initial larger outbreak, 55 people from 11 states were reportedly infected and 21 of them were hospitalized. In a second smaller outbreak, one out of five ill people in three states were hospitalized.
Chipotle saw its sales in December plunge after the cases were linked to the outbreak and it was forced to temporarily close dozens of locations in Colorado and Washington. But the chain’s shares climbed Monday morning, after The Wall Street Journal reported on the expected CDC announcement.
Chipotle plans to close its stores for part of the day Feb. 8 to hold a nationwide meeting with employees to discuss food-safety procedures and allow them to ask questions about the disease outbreak.
