Chipotle has been under close watch after an E. Coli outbreak surfaced in the restaurant chain's establishments in Washington and Oregon.
However, according to health officials from the Washington State Department of Health, the cause behind the outbreak is still unknown.
Tests were done on food samples from the restaurants returned negative results: there were no traces of E. coli, as said by the health department on Monday.
An estimated 25 food samples were grabbed from Chipotle restaurants located in Oregon, which also had no traces of E. coli. A few other samples are still awaiting results.
According to KTLA: "This is not unusual as contaminated foods are sometimes consumed or thrown out before samples are taken, according to health officials."
As of Tuesday, a total of 42 people - 27 in Washington, and 15 in Oregon - have fallen ill due to E. coli, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Out of the 42 people, 14 individuals have been hospitalized. Majority of the patients have claimed to have eaten at Chipotle outlets prior to getting ill.
Symptoms usually manifest two to eight day after being exposed to the bacteria, and can be resolved within a week.
Common symptoms include diarrhea and abdominal pain, although severe cases may develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure.
Fortunately, none of the affected individuals from this specific outbreak have died or have contracted HUS.
Chipotle restaurants in Washington remain closed for precautionary reasons since the outbreak emerged. State officials have stated that the establishments will have to go through strict procedures before reopening the restaurants.
Procedures that the establishments are required to go through include: "disposing of all food items, sanitizing each facility and bringing in all new food."
Furthermore, "menu items identified as high risk will be tested before being sent to restaurants, and all fresh produce will be carefully rinsed and sanitized. In addition, county food safety inspectors will confirm these steps have been taken at each location."
Six Chipotle locations in the Portland area of Oregon have been closed. They will also have to follow the same procedures as the Washington locations prior to reopening, as said by Oregon health officials.
