Boston College students sickened from norovirus

“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.

The director of health services at the college sent a letter to students on Tuesday, advising them of what precautions to take to prevent the spread of the norovirus.

Boston health authorities late Tuesday concluded, based on the results of five laboratory tests, that the cause of the outbreak was norovirus, a common gastrointestinal illness that causes a day or two of vomiting and diarrhea.

KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images Chipotle closes its Cleveland Circle location near Boston College as some 80 BC students get sick after eating there.

Ricardo Arduengo/AP Dennis Clifford, Boston College’s starting center and leading rebounder, missed Sunday’s game after getting sick. Members of the men’s basketball team were among those affected.

“All of the evidence we have points in that direction”, Chris Arnold, a Chipotle spokesman, told The Associated Press.

Norovirus is highly infectious; only tiny amounts of the virus are needed to cause illness.

Asked whether he meant to inspect other Chipotle restaurants in Boston, Christopher said he had no reason do so now. Each year, norovirus causes 19 million to 21 million illnesses.

The illnesses come as Chipotle’s sales are already being slammed by a multi-state outbreak of E. coli linked to its restaurants.

Choi reported from NY. The Boston investigation has allayed fears that the E. coli strain has spread there as well, though the tests for the bacteria haven’t yet been returned, Dunn said.

A report from Boston’s Inspectional Services department found that a sick employee was working at the location last Thursday and the chicken and steak on the line were being stored at temperatures below the 140 degree threshold.

That outbreak was the company’s third food safety incident since August. The players were among about 30 who reported falling ill after eating at the Cleveland Circle Chipotle, many of whom were BC students.