The Boston Public Health Commission said there are now 65 known cases of norovirus that is linked to Chipotle, although CNN reports that Boston College said that 80 of their students have fallen ill, including eight members of its men’s basketball team.
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Representatives of Chipotle said that there were no confirmed cases of E.coli connected to Chipotle in Massachussetts and that the illnesses could not be associated with the outbreaks in the other nine states.
The company said it thinks the illnesses are an isolated incident of norovirus and not linked to the nationwide outbreak that sickened at least 52 people in nine states.
The stock dropped 2.9% on December 8 alone in the wake of a report from Boston College officials that 80 out of 80 students who have what appears to be norovirus reported eating at Chipotle before becoming sick.
“All of the evidence we have points in that direction”, said Chris Arnold, a Chipotle spokesman.
Many students at the school feared they were afflicted with E. coli. It is important to note that noroviruses are very common, in part because they are so easily transmitted (they can spread through person-to-person contact, on surface areas, or through food or drink). It temporary closed its Cleveland Circle location, where the students ate, while health officials investigated.
City inspectors shuttered the location temporarily on Monday after uncovering violations that included an employee working a shift while sick and meat not being stored at proper temperatures. All of them said they had eaten at a Chipotle restaurant, as per a statement by Boston College.
Norovirus and E. coli have similar symptoms – diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and fever. Elaborating on the details of the situation, the school’s health authorities said that several students had come to them complaining of various gastro intestinal issues. The company has said that it is tightening its food safety procedures, and that some of its local produce suppliers might not be able to meet the new standards.
This has not been a good few weeks for Chipotle, which recently shuttered over 40 stores due to a widespread E. coli outbreak.
Executives said the chain may eventually raise prices to make up for its food safety investments.
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Chipotle’s shares, which closed down 1.7 percent at $542.24, moved marginally higher in extended trading on the norovirus test results.
