Chipotle (NYSE:$CMG) has been in hot waters recently, involved in multiple reports of food poisoning, as well as a scandal in which the company’s credit system had been hacked. As such, the company’s stock has been falling.
On July 18, the restaurant-chain’s stock continued its downward spiral as reports arose of customers getting sick after dining at a Chipotle restaurant in Sterling, Virginia. The company has reported to Business Insider that it has temporarily closed down the restaurant.
Symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, severe stomach pain, dehydration, and nausea were first reported by Chipotle customers to iwaspoisoned.com, a website that aims to prevent further spread of foodborne illnesses. Eight reports have been made in total so far. The reports suggest that about 13 customers got sick after dining at the Sterling, Virginia-located Chipotle on Friday July 14 or Saturday July 15.
One particular customer reported two hospitalizations after going to the Chipotle in Stirling with their daughter and friends. The daughter was reported to be puking, experiencing severe pain and diarrhea shortly after the meal on Saturday night onwards. The customer’s friends also fell ill, with one in the ER during the time of the report. On Sunday, July 16, the daughter was also hospitalized for dehydration, nausea, and pain.
Chipotle informed Business Insider that it has notified local health officials after being made aware of customers falling sick after eating at its Sterling location. Jim Marsden, Chipotle’s executive director of food safety, noted that – based on reported symptoms – the illnesses may be caused by norovirus. Marsden said that norovirus isn’t from Chipotle’s food supply, and that it is still safe to dine at other Chipotle restaurants.
Norovirus is different from E. coli — the bacteria that caused a number of foodborne illnesses to Chipotle customers across 14 states two years ago. While E. coli food poisoning is typically caused by contaminated food or water, norovirus is typically caused by a restaurant worker that did not properly wash their hands after going to the washroom. Norovirus is highly contagious, and is the most common source of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. About 21 million cases of food poisoning reports annually are related to norovirus.
This isn’t the first time Chipotle has had to deal with a norovirus outbreak at one of its restaurants. In December 2015, about 120 students were infected after dining at a Chipotle near Boston College.
Madsen has informed the public that the norovirus is isolated only to the Sterling restaurant, and Chipotle plans to reopen the restaurant on July 18 after sanitizing the location.
Below are some reports from iwaspoisoned.com, made from Sunday July 16 and Monday July 17, about the Sterling, Virginia-located Chipotle:
- “Friday 7/14: Daughter and friends went to Chipotle.
- Saturday 7/15: stomach pains and nausea started in morning.
- Saturday 7/15: violently stick, puking, diarrhea, severe pain, overnight into Sunday. Friends ill as well with one friend also in ER.
- Sunday 7/16: Hospital visit for dehydration, nausea, pain.
- Monday 7/17: severe pain, trauma pain.
- This is the worst that I have ever seen. Severe food borne illnesses can cause long-term damage to the gastrointestinal track. This was BAD!”
- “I ate a chicken bowl at 6ish and the rest at 11 pm Friday and then woke up Sunday morning with diarrhea and was nauseous
- “Wife and I ate chicken bowls Friday night. Puking brains out Saturday night and Sunday.
- “Ate salad bowl on Friday at 1230pm, became ill at 3pm on Saturday. Three up multiple times, had fever, dizziness, etc. Salad bowl with chicken, Pico, beans, medium salsa, corn.”
- “My husband and I both had chicken around 7:00 on Friday, July 14th. Over 24 hours later, we both started vomiting. We are still experiencing symptoms as of Monday morning. Chicken bowl – around 6 pm on 7.15.2017
- “My husband and I both shared a burrito bowl last night for dinner around 6:30 PM. It had rice, chicken, corn, pico, sour cream, cheese, medium salsa. At around midnight my husband woke up vomiting violently. Less than an hour later I began vomiting as well. We have since continued vomiting in addition to having diarrhea, stomach pains, dizziness upon standing, and low grade fevers. Chipotle was the only thing we both ate yesterday.”
- “My Son and I both had burrito bowls and became violently ill within hours of each other. He was visiting from college. Chipotle was the only food item we both ate that day. Violent stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting. Violently ill. Same exact symptoms. Burrito bowl. Steak, rice, green peppers and onions, guacamole, cheese.”
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