A virus is suspected to have caused the illness of scores of customers and some employees in a Chipotle restaurant in Southern California.
Local health officials shared that about 80 customers who had eaten in Chipotle, a huge fast food restaurant famous for its Mission-style burritos, tacos, and healthy choices, found in Simi Valley in Ventura County may have contracted norovirus, a kind of virus that can be transmitted by eating contaminated food. At least 15 employees also experienced similar symptoms, which include diarrhea, nausea, fever, abdominal cramps, and muscle and headaches.
The reported cases started coming in during the middle of August. This prompted the restaurant to take some sanitary measures on August 21 including disinfecting the counters and shutting down the place for one whole day to give the staff time to thoroughly clean. It opened the following day, but those who had been sick weren't allowed to come in and were advised to stay at home.
The county's environmental health division eventually conducted its own investigation, where they discovered some lapses in hygiene and food preparation practices.
For example, they found out that some of the food items were kept in improper temperatures or that the restrooms were dirty. Many of the pieces of equipment and utensils were not cleaned well while a number of the appliances were actually attached to sewer lines. Dirt can be found in many parts of the restaurant, from ceilings to walls and floors. Further, some of their employees didn't carry valid cards intended for food handlers.
The sick employees were also tested for the presence of the virus, and among the 18 staff members, 8 turned out positive. They will continue to be prohibited from working until their follow-up tests will turn out negative.
So far, the investigation couldn't pinpoint the actual cause for the virus contamination. However, the main focus of the health officials is to prevent further cases. Ever since the week when cases were reported, though, no other report was filed.
