Chipotle-related illnesses near 700, cause still unknown

Almost 700 people have reported becoming sick after eating at the Powell, Ohio, Chipotle. DORAL CHENOWETH III/THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Almost 700 people have reported becoming sick after eating at the Powell, Ohio, Chipotle. DORAL CHENOWETH III/THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The number of people who reported falling ill after eating at an Ohio Chipotle has reached at least 683.

The cause of the illnesses that allegedly stem from the restaurant at 9733 Sawmill Parkway in Powell is still unknown, with all of the initial stool samples testing negative for Salmonella, Shigella, E.coli and Norovirus, said Delaware County Health District spokeswoman Traci Whittaker.

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The stool samples will undergo more tests for other pathogens, along with food samples that will be tested for Bacillus Cereus or Clostridium Perfringens, in addition to Salmonella, Shigella, E.coli and Norovirus, Whittaker said.

The Powell Chipotle voluntarily closed Monday after customers started reporting symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting and food poisoning to the Delaware County Health District and on the website iwaspoisoned.com. The reports were from customers who ate at the Mexican grill between July 26 and 30.

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The store near Columbus reopened Tuesday after an inspection from the health district “saw no reason for them not to reopen,” Whittaker said.

The illnesses reminded customers of issues Chipotle has had in recent years. In February 2016, the chain closed all of its restaurants for a four-hour food safety meeting after reported outbreaks of E. coli, salmonella and norovirus at several locations across the country.

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