Uh-oh, Chipotle is in trouble again.
At least 30 students from Boston College have been diagnosed with gastrointestinal symptoms after dining in a Chipotle restaurant, said school authorities on Monday, Dec 7.
Among these students were eight basketball players. The students underwent consultation through the college's health services department. Upon school investigation, they discovered that they had just eaten in a Chipotle located in Cleveland Circle, which isn't far from the campus, around a week before their symptoms began, which include diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
The Massachusetts State Health Department has already been informed of the incident and is currently conducting an investigation to determine whether the illness is connected to the ongoing E. coli outbreak in more than five states.
The said restaurant is temporarily closed pending analysis and investigation, although a Chipotle representative has already said that there's no evidence that links the symptoms of the college students to current E. coli cases. Further, so far, the state isn't part of the places that have confirmed outbreaks.
The famous Mexican grill has been hit really hard with successive viral outbreaks. The E. coli infection is believed to have affected at least 52 people in the states of Ohio, New York, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Maryland, California, and Pennsylvania. Last October, 43 restaurants in Oregon and Washington were temporarily shut down due to the outbreak.
Meanwhile, a Washington resident, Charmaine Denise Mode, has filed a lawsuit against the restaurant on Oct. 21 after suffering from "severe diarrhea" less than five days after eating. She's currently seeking $75,000 damages.
Until now, it's unclear how E. coli outbreak happens in Chipotle, which is well-known for serving non-GMO fresh ingredients for its tacos and burritos, but the management stresses that it's working harder than ever to ensure the safety and deliciousness of the food, including creating a new safety program.
