On Monday, December 21 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was investigating the more recent batch of E. coli cases linked to Chipotle, since the Mexican Grill was a larger outbreak last October.
Five people who had eaten in two Chipotle restaurants. Two ate at a Kansas location and three ate at a location in Oklahoma.
Symptoms, which include diarrhea and abdominal pain, usually begin two to eight days after a person has been exposed to the bacteria and resolved within a week.
Some cases are severe and patients can develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, which is a type of kidney failure.
Their symptoms began between November 18 and November 26 and all the individuals had consumed food from Chipotle within a week of becoming ill.
The agency has not yet determined which food is responsible for the outbreak.
CDC official suggested that these new cases may include a different strain of E. coli than that of the previous outbreaks linked to Chipotle earlier this year, according to CNN.
"These recent cases occurred several weeks after the last cases in the larger outbreak and in a different geographic location." Dr. Ian Williams, chief of the CDC's Outbreak Response & Prevention Branch, said.
"This may suggest they do not share a common source, but the investigation is ongoing," he added.
After the report of illnesses, the Chipotle announced to revised their standards, like conduct high-resolution testing of ingredients, continuous improvement in the supply system based on testing data and enhanced food safety training for each team.
Chipotle first underwent investigation in October for an E. coli outbreak that initially surfaced in Washington and Oregon before spreading across the country.
ABC News reports, as of last week 53 people have reported a related illness and 20 of those have been hospitalized, No deaths have been linked to the outbreak.
Earlier this month, Steve Ells, Chipotle’s founder, and chief executive, went on the “Today” show to apologize to the people who became sick most recently.
“I’m sorry for the people who got sick. They’re having a tough time and I feel terrible about that,” Steve Ells said.
Health officials in Boston shuttered a location after an outbreak of norovirus caused at least 140 cases of gastrointestinal illness.
Over the last three years The Mexican Grill food chain had been one of the most coveted stocks. But after questions around food safety arose, shares plummeted 29% in the second week of December from their higher point over the past year.
