Photo by Paul Aiken

Jimmy John's, on 13th Street on University Hill, has been linked to an E. coli outbreak at a sorority on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder.

Employees at the Jimmy John's sandwich shop on Boulder's University Hill slapped on plastic gloves early Friday and unlocked their front doors.

The sub shop at 1125 13th St. was shuttered for two days after Boulder County Public Health determined several people become sick with E. coli after eating there. The business reopened overnight Thursday because public health officials said Jimmy John's dumped its entire food supply and tested all its employees for the bacteria.

"They met all the requirements we asked of them," said Nisha Alden, Public Health epidemiologist. "They thoroughly cleaned and sanitized their restaurant. They're starting with a new supply of food, and they've screened their employees to make sure they're healthy."

Two more cases of E. coli were reported Thursday -- adding to the list of people sickened by the bacteria in Boulder. A total of 18 people have been connected with the outbreak, Alden said.

"People are hearing about what's on the news and calling us if they have the symptoms," she said.

The E. coli outbreak first came to light when several University of Colorado sorority members became sick with the bacteria after eating at Jimmy John's. Alden said her department hasn't pinpointed the source of the E. coli but said they have "enough information to think that Jimmy John's is related to the outbreak."

The first illness connected with this case was reported Sept. 16, about 10 days after the symptoms started, Alden said. Patients range in age from 19 to 58, she said.

Although one E. coli patient had to be hospitalized for dehydration, no one suffered more severe symptoms than cramping and bloody diarrhea, Alden said. Health officials are hoping to narrow the scope of what specifically caused the outbreak, and Alden said more lab results are pending.

A manager working behind the Jimmy John's counter Friday said his restaurant has been given a "clean bill of health," and staff is trying to catch up after the closure.

About 4 p.m. Friday, customers seemed undeterred by the E. coli scare -- passing each other through the double doors, wrapped sandwiches in hand. Allen Sisneros, 20, of Boulder, said he's not going to stop eating at one of his favorite sandwich stops because of a "rumor."

"I don't believe it came from here," he said. "Either way, I think they took every precaution. I heard they threw out all their food."

But Andy Detsch, 27, of Boulder, who was sitting on a nearby bench Friday evening, said he won't be going to Jimmy John's for some time.

"Once my fiancee got sick at Panera, and we haven't gone back," he said. "That was two years ago."

Contact Camera Staff Writer Vanessa Miller at millerv@dailycamera.com or 303-473-1329.