Boston College suspends salad bars after Chipotle norovirus outbreak

Boston College has halted use of self-service foodservice facilities like salad bars as the school deals with a norovirus outbreak that has been traced to a nearby Chipotle Mexican Grill.

More than 120 students have been sickened by the germ, according to the school. Victims can readily pass the bug to others by contaminating surfaces and food.

To halt the spread of the virus, the school is sanitizing “common touch” surfaces in dining rooms and other facilities, spokesperson Jack Dunn told Boston.com.

In addition, the school is providing a “flu buddy pack” of supplies that students can pass along to classmates who’ve already been sickened.

Tips about self-care were emailed to the student body, Dunn said.

All of the students have been tested for norovirus. Virtually all ate at the nearby Chipotle, which was closed by health authorities as the number of victims mounted. The local health board has confirmed 80 cases of norovirus, some of whom were not BC students.

Health authorities have not tracked the outbreak to a particular food or individual, but discovered that an employee of the Chipotle had shown up for work on Thursday despite feeling ill. Sanitation officials have been able to determine that the worker was stationed near chicken and steak that was being maintained at temperatures no higher than 128 degrees. Safety standards call for a temperature of no lower than 140 degrees.

After 20 students had alerted the school on Sunday night that they were sickened after eating at the Chipotle, BC sent an email to the student body, advising that the restaurant be avoided.

The Chipotle is located off campus but nearby, in the town of Brighton.