What Is Norovirus? Chipotle Closes Restaurant in Virginia
Chipotle shuts down a restaurant in Virginia over reports of norovirus and of customers getting sick.
On Tuesday, the restaurant chain confirmed that it has shut down one of its branches to do a complete sanitization of the area. The branch, which is located in Sterling, Virginia, was closed on Monday as a precautionary measure.
Diners are believed to have contracted the norovirus, which is dubbed the winter vomiting bug, at the restaurant. In the U.S., the norovirus is the most common foodborne illness, raking in 19–21 million cases every year.
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"We are working with health authorities to understand what the cause may be and to resolve the situation as quickly as possible," Jim Marsden, the chain's head of food safety, shared in a statement.
According to Marsden, the symptoms of customers, who claim to have gotten ill over their food, are consistent with the highly contagious virus, the norovirus. The symptoms that the diners experienced include "vomiting violently, fevers, violent stomach cramps, and dizziness."
On the other hand, based on the Health Director for Loudoun County, Virginia, the alleged norovirus outbreak could have been spread by a human carrier.
While the norovirus outbreak is often called as food poisoning, because the virus can be transmitted through contaminated food, it is not always a result of food contamination. The virus can be spread through improper sanitation practices; for instance, when workers fail to wash their hands after going to the bathroom.
Eight reports were submitted on its website, but at least 13 customers are believed to be sick after eating at the restaurant on Friday or Saturday.
When reports about a virus outbreak at Chipotle surfaced, stocks instantaneously plummeted. It saw more than a six percent drop in less than an hour.
The incident is not a first for the food chain. It has dealt with norovirus cases prior to this.
More updates should follow.
