Boston Chipotle Outbreak: 140 Now Ill

Another Chipotle restaurant in Seattle was shut down by the local health department over “repeated food safety violations” as the company remains embroiled in the worst health epidemic of its short history – and the worst seen in any restaurant chain in a very long time, according to an ABC News report.

Dunn said 12 other students, who had not eaten at Chipotle, also showed symptoms of being infected by norovirus and had reported to the college’s health authorities.

Chipotle founder and co-CEO Steve Ells said he is “deeply sorry” about the customers who became sick after eating at the chain over the last several weeks.

The findings raise broader concerns about Chipotle’s procedures for keeping food safe, a critical challenge as the company tries to restore its reputation.

In Boston’s case, health officials on Tuesday determined it was a norovirus that sickened the college students, which Chipotle officials acknowledged in a statement.

After forcing the Chipotle to close this week, Seattle officials acknowledged that the location didn’t have as many violations as the typical restaurant it shuts down.

Despite the massive press relations debacle Chipotle is facing following a series of E. coli outbreaks, the fast food chain has remained steadfast behind its so-called “diarrhea burrito”.

“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”.

A spokeswoman for the Boston Public Health Commission said the illnesses were likely caused by norovirus, but final test results aren’t expected for a couple of days. Locally sourced produce accounts for a “relatively small percentage” of the produce the chain uses, said Chris Arnold, a Chipotle spokesman.

“I know the consultants that Chipotle has hired and they’re really some of the best”, he said. “We do not have any evidence to suggest that this incident is related the previous E. coli incident”. It also said that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has been informed about the illness, and the department is investigating the case.

The norovirus outbreak began with eight Boston College basketball players who missed a game Sunday due to food poisoning, leading many to suspect E.coli, including BC Coaches.

Maybe, depending on how many people get sick. He added that if there was a silver lining to this, it was that Chipotle has looked at every single ingredient used at its restaurants, and there are some 64 ingredients used by them.