The Boston Public Health Commission is now certain of the illness that caused 136 people to become ill in a short space of time. After running tests, they discovered it was norovirus and not E. coli, as previously thought.
Health officials made a definitive declaration of the illness after tests for bacteria and pathogens were taken at the site of the restaurant where many were linked to have eaten. Tests from Cleveland Circle Chipolte returned negative, according to boston.com. The illness was a serious cause of concern, as it was not seen as a normal norovirus outbreak. As reported by The Food Chain, typical norovirus outbreaks do not include a large number of people.
Statistically, fast food restaurants have smaller outbreaks of norovirus, instead replacing the illness for another more common one presented at fast food establishments, in the form of salmonella. The Food Chain report said this is according to the CDC which began tracking food-borne illnesses in 2009. The CDC cited norovirus as more commonly erupting in sit down restaurants.
As the number of illnesses steadily increased over the course of the week, campus health officials discovered that the larger number of those complaining of gastrointestinal symptoms had patronized the restaurant recently. The students experienced vomiting, cramping, nausea and muscle aches.
The number of confirmed cases up to Friday included 129 Boston College students and seven people not affiliated with the college. However, reports were steadily coming in, and officials predicted that as many as 140 people may have become sickened with the norovirus. Brighter news for those who became ill in Boston, The Food Chain reports that CDC officials said that less than 1% of norovirus patients were hospitalized for the illness between 2009 to 2014.