An outbreak of Salmonella Javiana has sickened 345 people across 27 US states. The CDC and FDA are investigating the source and spread of the outbreak.
Jalapeño peppers removed from restaurants
An epidemiological investigation linked the outbreak to fresh jalapeño peppers sourced from Mexico's Sinaloa state. The peppers, grown by a major producer in Mexico, were distributed in the United States by Coast Citrus Distributors.
The jalapeño peppers were served at Chipotle, Qdoba and other restaurants. Chipotle removed the product from its menu as a precaution. Qdoba also temporarily removed the peppers from all of its restaurants.
Minnesota and Colorado report the highest case numbers
According to CDC data, 36 patients were hospitalized, and no deaths linked to the outbreak were reported. Minnesota and Colorado recorded the highest numbers of patients, with 110 cases each.
Thirty cases were identified in Illinois and 13 in Kansas. The other states that reported cases were Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.