HELENA — The Centers for Disease Control is investigating a multistate salmonella outbreak linked to jalapenos, including five cases in Montana.
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The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services tells MTN these five individuals ate jalapeños at a single Chipotle location in south-central Montana in early July. Although the CDC didn't specify which city was the source, a Bozeman woman filed a lawsuit against Chipotle this week in connection with the outbreak.
There are 10 Chipotle locations in Montana: three in Billings, two in Bozeman and one each in Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell and Missoula. Jalapenos have also been recalled from Qdoba, which has five locations in the state.
The CDC says the source is jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors.
Restaurants that received the affected jalapeños are no longer serving them, and state health officials said they don't believe there is an ongoing risk to the public.
Most people infected with salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Symptoms usually start six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria. Some people, especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems, may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.
Across the country, there have been 345 reported cases, but the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses, and the true number of sick people is likely much higher than the number reported. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella.
At this time, no hospitalizations among Montana residents have been reported as part of this outbreak. For more information, you can visit the CDC website.
