Boston College students went viral last weekend.
The gastrointestinal outbreak at Boston College that sickened 80 students who ate at a local Chipotle restaurant was caused by a norovirus — not E. coli, a Boston health official told The Post on Tuesday.
“We got test results back and it’s confirmed norovirus,” said Anita Barry, MD, director of the Infectious Disease Bureau at the Boston Public Health Commission, which has been investigating the matter since the college reported the incidents.
Other Bostonians were also sickened after they ate at the Chipotle at 1924 Beacon St., Barry said. The restaurant was closed after the illnesses were tied to Chipotle — and remained closed on Tuesday.
Norovirus is no walk in the park, as Boston College pointed out in an open letter to its students on Tuesday. It can cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhea and may require fluids to be administered in the case of severe dehydration.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration have been investigating 52 incidents of E. coli illnesses involving people who have eaten at Chipotle restaurants in nine states, including Washington, Oregon and Minnesota, since early October.
Chipotle shares have fallen 27 percent since Oct. 13 — mostly because of the E. coli outbreak. In after-hours trading, the chain’s shares gained 53 cents, reaching $542.65.