Chipotle shuts Virginia location following reports of norovirus

Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill sank Tuesday after the fast- casual restaurant chain confirmed it closed a store in Northern Virginia following “a small number of reported illnesses,” renewing food safety concerns that have troubled the company in recent years.

The reported symptoms are consistent with norovirus, the Denver- based company said. Norovirus, a common cause of viral gastroenteritis, typically spreads by person- to- person transmission or through food handled by an infected person.

“Norovirus does not come from our food supply, and it is safe to eat at Chipotle,” Jim Marsden, Chipotle’s executive director of food safety, said in a statement. “We are working with health authorities to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”

Chipotle closed the store, located on Tripleseven Road in Sterling, Va., about 20 miles west of Washington, D. C., on Monday to conduct “complete sanitization.”

Shares of Chipotle were down more than 4% Tuesday, closing at $ 374.98.

In 2015, Chipotle shut down some restaurants after an E. coli outbreak sickened more than 50 people in 11 states. A second outbreak of a different strain of E. coli in December 2015 affected five people in three states. Health officials also linked a Chipotle location in the Boston area in December 2015 to a norovirus outbreak in the region.

The company last year introduced new safety standards and food- handling procedures. It also financially settled with more than 100 customers sickened after eating its food.

In February 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its investigation into the E. coli incidents.

CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL