Boston College: 80 sickened after eating at Chipotle

Boston College: 80 sickened after eating at Chipotle

Associated Press

BOSTON — Boston College said Tuesday the number of students complaining of gastrointestinal symptoms after eating at a Chipotle this weekend has climbed to 80, up from the 30 it reported the previous day.

The illnesses prompted the temporary closure of a Chipotle restaurant in Boston where the students ate, and come as the chain's sales are already being slammed by a multistate outbreak of E. coli linked to its restaurants.

Chipotle says it thinks the Boston College illnesses are an isolated case of norovirus and unrelated to the E. coli cases that have turned up in nine states.

'All of the evidence we have points in that direction,' said Chris Arnold, a Chipotle spokesman.

Boston College said it is working with state health officials and that all students who reported symptoms have been tested for both E. Coli and norovirus.

The Boston Public Health Commission said in a statement late Tuesday that results of initial testing conducted by Massachusetts officials on some of those affected showed the presence of norovirus.

Final test results were expected to take a couple of days. The commission also said some non-Boston College patrons of the restaurant had reported symptoms as well.

According to a report from the Boston Inspectional Services department, which is responsible for inspecting the city's restaurants, an employee at the Chipotle restaurant in Cleveland Circle was sick while working a shift Thursday.

William Christopher, the department's commissioner, said it was not immediately known if management at Chipotle was aware of the employee's symptoms. He said the restaurant's permit to operate has been suspended by the city and that a disinfection process has begun.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infected workers cause about 70 percent of reported norovirus outbreaks from contaminated food. Each year, norovirus causes 19 million to 21 million illnesses.

The virus can spread from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces, the agency says. It is very contagious and can spread quickly in places such as daycare centers and cruise ships.

If tests confirm that the Boston illnesses are the result of norovirus, it would support Chipotle's previous statement that whatever ingredient that was likely to blame for the E. coli is out of its restaurants by now.

The CDC has not yet determined the ingredient responsible for sickening 52 people in the E. coli outbreak.

By Bob Salsberg and Candice Choi