Food poisoning cases made headlines in 2015

This week, I had Chipotle for the first time in almost three months. Good news: I am feeling fine and my chicken bowl was delicious.

If you don’t live under a rock, you understand why this is good news. The E. coli outbreak that has scared some customers away, me included, is just one of several food safety issues that have made headlines this year.

Things started to turn ugly for Chipotle Mexican Grill this summer when five people in the Seattle area became ill after eating at the restaurant chain. E. coli was apparently to blame for those cases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most E. coli bacteria are harmless, but some can cause illness, usually diarrhea. Urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and bloodstream infections can also be the result of E. coli.

A month later, the restaurant made news once again with a norovirus outbreak, or the “stomach flu,” that sickened more than 200 people in Simi Valley. The virus, as explained by the CDC, causes your stomach to become inflamed, which can lead to stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea. Yet again, in October and November, more reports of E. coli linked to the chain popped up in several states, including California. The bacteria was linked to two cases at the Chipotle on Countryside Drive in Turlock.

The company also had to temporarily close 43 of its restaurants in Oregon and Washington earlier this fall after health officials connected the outbreak to this region.

It’s been a tough time for the chain and for its loyal customers. The day I grabbed lunch there this week it was about noon, and definitely not as crowded as usual, at least from what I remembered.

Despite promises from restaurant founder and employees that the chain is revamping its food-safety plan, the truth is that people do freak out about food poisoning, and with all right.

But Chipotle isn’t the only restaurant to have scared off customers this year.

Another food poisoning episode hit closer to home. Five Merced County residents became ill in October with food poisoning after eating at a San Jose restaurant that was linked to a shigella outbreak. Restaurant Mariscos San Juan No. 3 was inspected and temporarily shut down by the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health. Close to 200 people were affected throughout Merced, Santa Clara, Alameda and Santa Cruz counties.

According to the CDC, shigellosis, caused by the bacterial group shigella, is an infectious disease that usually results in diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps a day or two after exposure to the bacteria. Shigella is known to be highly contagious and exposure to even a small amount of contaminated fecal matter can cause infection.

Last month, Taylor Farms had to recall many of their products due to the possibility of E. coli contamination. The recall included more than 150,000 items, including salads and vegetable trays. The products were sold at chains across the country, including Wal-Mart, 7-Eleven, Target and Costco.

While there is no secret answer to protect oneself from food-borne illnesses, there are several steps people can take to lower the risk. The most obvious being practicing good hygiene, especially good hand-washing.

People should make a habit of carrying hand sanitizer with them in case soap and water are not immediately available. Alcohol-based sanitizer is a good way to reduce the number of germs.

Cooking meat thoroughly and avoiding consumption of raw milk or unpasteurized dairy products also will help reduce risk. Health experts also ask that people avoid swallowing water when swimming and when playing in lakes or ponds.

We can do our part, and hope others will be as considerate and also do their best to avoid contamination.

This story was originally published December 18, 2015 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Food poisoning cases made headlines in 2015."