Chipotle Norovirus Outbreak Sickens Dozens in Boston Area

Newton, MA - Health officials have determined that it was a norovirus that sickened about 80 people people over the weekend who ate at a Boston-area Chipotle Mexican Grill. Initial estimates suggested 25-30 customers had become ill.

“Yes, we believe it is a norovirus linked to only one restaurant, a sentiment shared by local health officials,” Chipotle officials said in a statement.

Health officials have found three violations that include chicken and steak not being held at proper temperatures, and an employee working while ill. The Boston Food Services Inspection Department has issued a temporary suspension of the Chipotle on Beacon Street in Cleveland Circle.

“Norovirus is usually transmitted from the feces to the mouth, either by drinking contaminated food or water or by passing from person to person,” according to Foodborne Illness. “Because noroviruses are easily transmitted, are resistant to common disinfectants, and are hard to contain using normal sanitary measures, they can cause extended outbreaks.”

Initially, officials were concerned that the illnesses, which affected Boston College students, including eight basketball players, were the result of E.coli, an outbreak of which at Chipotle Mexican Grill has spread from the west coast across the U.S.

Fifty-two people in nine states had become ill from what the CDC says are E.coli infections. Twenty of those people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Chipotle Communications Director Chris Arnold told Patch Monday night that there is ”no evidence to suggest this is E.coli” in Boston, and referred to a company statement.

“The safety and well being of our customers is always our highest priority, so our restaurant at Cleveland Circle in Boston is temporarily closed while we work with local health officials to investigate a number of illnesses among Boston College students,” the statement reads. “We do not have any evidence to suggest that this incident is related the previous E. coli incident. There are no confirmed cases of E. coli connected to Chipotle in Massachusetts.”

Eight Boston College basketball players missed a game Sunday due to food poisoning, leading many to suspect E.coli, including BC Coaches. The players were among about 30 who reported falling ill after eating at the Cleveland Circle Chipotle, many of whom were BC students. The college’s medical staff sent out an email to the campus alerting students and faculty that “numerous people on campus caught E.coli from the Chipotle restaurant in Cleveland Circle.”

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.