Salmonella outbreak tied to jalapenos spreads to 27 US states

Authorities are probing a salmonella outbreak linked to jalapenos that has sickened 345 people in 27 states, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement on Wednesday.

The CDC said that the jalapenos were supplied by California-based Coast Citrus Distributors and sourced from Mexico. They were served at Chipotle, Qdoba and other restaurants.

Thirty-six people have been hospitalized, the CDC said. No deaths have been reported so far.

According to NBC News, Minnesota and Colorado account for the vast majority of cases, with 110 each. Illinois has reported 30 cases and Kansas 13.

The other states affected are 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.

Chipotle said Tuesday that it had removed jalapenos from its menu "out of an abundance of caution." On Wednesday, Qdoba said it had "proactively removed jalapenos from all our restaurants."

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it began investigating "multiple ingredients" tied to the outbreak on July 22 but has not named any restaurants or suppliers.

The CDC said the FDA is working to determine whether the jalapenos were sold at grocery stores.