Chipotle strikes again as 30 Boston College students fall ill

“We believe it’s most likely a norovirus (the health department in Boston seems to have the same theory) given the pattern and symptoms of illness”, Arnold said in an email Tuesday afternoon.

Since the investigation regarding this outbreak is now underway, officials from the Massachusetts Public Health Department and the Boston Public Health Department did not speculate on the cause.

Initially, officials were concerned that the illnesses, which affected Boston College students, including eight basketball players, were the result of E.coli, an outbreak of which at Chipotle Mexican Grill has spread from the west coast across the U.S.

The company says it thinks the illnesses are an isolated incident unrelated to a multi-state outbreak of E. coli cases linked to its restaurants.

A national outbreak of E. coli has been linked to Denver-based Chipotle, which has said that it is adopting stricter food safety standards. “There are no confirmed cases of E. coli connected to Chipotle in MA”.

“Right now, we don’t have any indication that there are any issues with the Chipotle’s here”, Anderson said, though she added that the food chain is still investigating exactly what caused the students to fall ill.

More than 80 Boston college students reported gastrointestinal complications after eating at popular Mexican fast-food chain Chipotle.

The E.coli virus gained particular noteriety in 1993 when beef patties from Jack in the Box infected over 700 people, killing four.

Chipotle executives noted the exposure period for the E. coli cases appears to be over. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or cramps, diarrhea, low-grade fever and muscle pain.

Chipotle’s shares, which closed down 1.7 percent at $542.24, moved marginally higher in extended trading on the norovirus test results.

Fifty-two people across nine states are confirmed sick, according to the most recent update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Massachusetts Department of Health has been notified and is working to determine the cause of the apparent gastrointestinal illness.

That would mark the first time the sales figure has declined since Chipotle went public in 2006.

Chipotle closed the outlet on Monday as officials suspended the location’s permit to operate and ordered a disinfection process.