The Loudoun County Health Department (LCHD) continues to investigate the reports of illness at a Chipotle restaurant in Sterling and has identified approximately 60 ill individuals who reported being at the establishment last week. “One ill patron has tested positive for norovirus,” said Dr. David Goodfriend, director of the LCHD. “This provides additional information but is not sufficient to determine the cause of the outbreak. The Health Department is awaiting further test results, which should be available early next week.”
Customers who ate at the restaurant and became ill are encouraged to contact the Health Department at 703-771-5411. Additional questions or concerns can be addressed by contacting the Health Department at health@loudoun.gov.
On Monday, July 17, 2017, LCHD was notified by Chipotle Mexican Grill at 21031 Tripleseven Road, Sterling, VA 20165, and by local medical providers of customers complaining of nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea over the previous two days. The restaurant voluntarily closed that day and has been working closely with the Health Department to help identify the cause of the illnesses and to prevent future illnesses, including having Health Department staff onsite on July 18 and 19. The restaurant reopened on July 19, 2017.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 6 Americans gets sick from contaminated food each year. Norovirus (sometimes called “stomach flu”) is the most common cause of foodborne illness. Frequent hand washing and staying home when sick are two of the most important means of preventing the spread of infection.