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UPDATE: December 9, 2015 at 2:04 p.m.
New information from BC Health Services now states that 120 students have reported symptoms consistent with norovirus after eating at Chipotle in Cleveland Circle. And, according to Boston.com, the Boston Public Health Commission says that initial testing by state officials has confirmed the presence of norovirus at the restaurant. However, the commission was only able to confirm 65 known cases—including Boston College residents and students as well as non-BC patrons.
Norovirus is spread by contaminated food or water and causes a severe stomach virus, with symptoms like sharp pains, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Though norovirus was, in fact, the cause of some illnesses, Boston College spokesman Jack Dunn says that the results of the E. coli tests have not yet been returned.
Check back for more on the multi-state E. coli outbreak, which the remaining cases could be linked to.
UPDATE: December 8, 2015 at 3:03 p.m.
According to Boston College, the total number of students affected by gastrointestinal complications is now 80, up from the original 20 it reported yesterday.
While Chipotle has been dealing with a nine-state outbreak of E. coli, the company holds firm that it believes this is an isolated and unrelated incident. The AP reports that Chris Arnold, a company spokesman, says the company thinks the cause is norovirus, saying "all of the evidence we have points in that direction."
However, Massachusetts health officials have tested students for both norovirus and E. coli and are awaiting the results, which won't be available for at least two days.
What's more, a report from the Boston Inspectional Services department says an employee at the Chipotle restaurant in Cleveland Circle—located at 1924 Beacon St. in Brighton—was sick while working a shift on Thursday. The department said it's unclear whether management was aware of this, though officials have still suspended the restaurant's permit to operate and also initiated a disinfection process.
Stay tuned for more updates on these outbreaks.
ORIGINAL POST: December 7, 2015 at 7:10 p.m.
Reports from local news affiliates in Boston announce that dozens of students and athletes at Boston College have fallen ill after eating at Chipotle near campus. At this time, it's unclear if these incidents are linked to the national E. coli outbreak because the source of the sickness is still unknown.
In a statement, Boston College officials said that the school had confirmed that more than 20 students had reported gastrointestinal symptoms to BC Health Services. The commonality in all cases, Business Insider reports, is that all had eaten at the Chipotle location in Cleveland Circle.
In response to what appears to be an outbreak, the college's health service department sent a campus-wide email, warning students to avoid that outpost of the burrito chain. According to MyFoxBoston.com, the college is urging students to seek medical care if they experience any stomach symptoms.
The affected location has since been shut down and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is now investigating the incident to see if these cases are linked to the national outbreak of E. coli affecting Chipotle locations in nine states.
Meanwhile, CBS reports, a Chipotle spokesperson issued an official statement, saying "We do not have any evidence to suggest that this incident is related the previous E. coli incident. There are no confirmed cases of E. coli connected to Chipotle in Massachusetts."
The company also stressed that "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."
Unsurprisingly, this is a hot issue on campus, but it's especially worrisome for athletes and sports fans. One Boston College sports blogger has reported coaches confirming that eight players from the men's basketball team have contracted E. coli. What's more, the sports editor of a Boston College student newspaper obtained an email sent by BC athletics officials, which calls the sickness a "veritable epidemic" and tells recipients "DO NOT EAT AT CHIPOTLE!"
We'll update this story as we learn more.
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