The Latest: E. coli cases rise to 37 in Northwest outbreak
By Associated Press
Nov 3, 2015 2:59 PM CST
A woman talks on the phone as she stands in the kitchen area of a closed Chipotle restaurant, Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, in Seattle. An E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in Washington state and Oregon has sickened nearly two dozen people in the third outbreak of foodborne illness at the popular...   (Associated Press)

SEATTLE (AP) — The latest in an E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in Washington state and Oregon (all times local):

1 p.m.

Health officials say 37 people have E. coli in Washington state and Oregon amid an outbreak tied to Chipotle restaurants in the Northwest, an increase from 22 cases reported earlier.

Washington health officials are still testing samples from people who have fallen ill in Clark, Cowlitz, Island, King and Skagit counties to see if they all have the same form of the potentially deadly illness.

Officials say most of those sickened by E. coli have eaten at the Mexican food chain.

Nine people in Washington and three in Oregon have been hospitalized, but no one has died. People with E. coli connected with the outbreak have ranged in age from 5 to 60.

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11:35 a.m.

Health officials say Oregon has 12 cases of E. coli amid an outbreak tied to Chipotle restaurants in the Northwest, an increase from the three cases reported earlier.

Dr. Katrina Hedberg, Oregon state epidemiologist, says three people were hospitalized in Oregon, but all have been treated and released. She says eight of the 12 patients have been interviewed and had eaten at the chain. The majority of the illnesses were in the Portland area.

Oregon is working closely with Washington state to identify the cause of the outbreak, which also has sickened at least 19 people in Washington.

Food from six Chipotle stores connected with the outbreak is being tested. The chain of casual Mexican restaurants has closed 43 restaurants in the two states.

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10:50 a.m.

Washington state health officials have identified the specific microorganism responsible for the E. coli outbreak tied to Chipotle restaurants in the Pacific Northwest.

Dr. Scott Lindquist, state epidemiologist, says knowing the type of E. coli that's sickened nearly two dozen people will help officials determine the exact source of the illness.

Food from six Chipotle stores connected with the outbreak is being tested. Lindquist says officials may know by Wednesday what type of food tests positive for the same microorganism. They've asked Chipotle to turn over information about its food suppliers so officials can determine where the product came from.

On Tuesday, officials in Washington and Oregon plan to update the number of people who have fallen ill. Lindquist says none of the 22 people with E. coli have experienced dangerous complications so far.

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