Chipotle: E. Coli may not be to blame for latest health issue

The school sent an alert to students, which read, “The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has been notified and is working to determine if there is a link to the ongoing national outbreak of E. coli”. The restaurant’s permit to operate has been suspended by the city and a disinfection process has begun, Christopher said. “The restaurant is closed and will remain closed until we decide it’s safe to open”.

THe company says it thinks the Boston College illnesses are an isolated case of norovirus and unrelated to the E. coli cases that have turned up in nine states.

“Several students have come to [Boston College] Health Services complaining of gastrointestinal symptoms; the common factor among them is that they have all eaten at the [nearby] Chipotle restaurant”, the university said on its website. You can get it from an infected person, contaminated food or just by touching a contaminated surface. But norovirus is far more likely than E. coli to cause vomiting. Anderson said the state has no plans to inspect any of the Chipotle locations here, though this could change if a local health department were to contact DCP with concerns. The spokesman said test results won’t be available for at least two days.

Knight said the food is being tested in a lab and interviews will be conducted with each student who became ill. The company hopes to have more information later in the day on Tuesday, he said.

Chipotle had been under fire in the USA for E.coli outbreaks that had spread into nine states, with 47 out of the 52 sick individuals having said they ate at the chain restaurant. However, the company has stated that the closure was voluntary.

The Cleveland Circle Chipotle was voluntarily closed down after an inspection revealed cooked chicken was being kept at too low of a temperature.

The third violation was issued for the “multiple reports of foodborne illness from this location”.

“Upon entry to the establishment the inspector did identify 3 violations…”

The city noted in its statement that “information is constantly evolving”.

He called the measure “a preemptive strike in case it’s something that turns out to be contagious”. He also refused to comment on the exact number of students who had been affected.

People are anxious about going to the restaurant now.