Chipotle Norovirus Infection Shuts Down Billerica Store: Report

By MARC TORRENCE (Patch National Staff)

BILLERICA, MA - A Massachusetts Chipotle restaurant in Middlesex County closed Tuesday after the discovery that a worker there had contracted norovirus, according to a local media report citing local health officials. Two other employees are suspected of having the virus, according to the report, by WHDH.

The closing of the restaurant, in the town of Billerica, comes one month to the day after Chipotle restaurants nationwide shutdown for safety training following separate outbreaks of E. coli and norovirus at stores in serveral states around the country.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the Chipotle E. coli outbreak over on February 1, but the center said that the cause of the outbreak was unknown. The CDC told Patch at the time that the center was not investigating any norovirus outbreaks.

At least one Chipotle store in California faces a criminal investigation for a norovirus outbreak at a restaurant in Simi Valley.

E. coli is a bacteria that lives in the intestines of humans and and animals. Some strains of the bacteria can cause "illness" and diarrhea, according to the CDC.

Norovirus can cause diarrhea, fever and headaches, the CDC says. Symptoms appear 12 to 48 hours after virus exposure, and most people get better in three days, at most, according to the CDC.

A norovirus outbreak at a Pennsylvania college sickened more than 200 students, but it was not related to any Chipotle stores.

Health officials did not immediately return a call to Patch for comment.

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