The company says it thinks the illnesses are an isolated incident unrelated to an outbreak of E. coli cases tied to its restaurants. But he noted the E. coli cases are “all the more damaging” for Chipotle because of its “Food With Integrity” slogan.
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The Massachusetts Department of Health has been notified and is working to determine the cause of the apparent gastrointestinal illness.
Noroviruses are more common than E. coli and easily transmitted through person-to-person contact, contaminated surface areas, and through food and drink.
And now, according to NBC news, over 80 ill Boston College students (and probably others) have been linked to a eating at a Chipotle in Cleveland Circle.
Che Knight, director of communications for the Boston Public Health Commission, said the agency could not confirm that norovirus sickened the students. They are now being tested for E. coli and norovirus, as both cause symptoms describe by the students.
About 30 players who ate at Chipotle Brighton restaurant in Cleveland Circle last Saturday manifested signs and symptoms of foodborne illness according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, Chris Arnold, a spokesman for Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc issued an email statement where he confirmed that the restaurant has been temporarily shut down. The first cases were reported at the end of October in OR and Washington, with additional cases later being reported in seven other states. The symptoms often start out slow, such as mild stomach pain or non-bloody diarrhea that becomes worse over the succeeding days.
The recent outbreaks have the company re-evaluating its local produce program and its supplier standards.
Arnold added that local health officials “seem to be leaning” toward norovirus – not E. coli – as the culprit in this case.
The company has warned that sales are expected to fall as much as 11 per cent at established locations for the fourth quarter as a result of the E. coli outbreak.
Oppenheimer analyst Brian Bittner posted a “research note” telling investors now might be a good time to buy Chipotle stock, citing an outbreak in 2006 that was linked to Taco Bell restaurants.
In August, an outbreak of norovirus sickened 80 customers and 13 employees at a Southern California Chipotle.
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Chipotle’s stock fell 7 percent to $513 in after-hours trading, after closing down 1.7 percent Monday.
