Chipotle, a popular fast-food chain, suffered an E. coli outbreak which had a huge negative impact on sales. While the media's coverage brought awareness to the health risk, its misconception of E. coli failed to show that not all E. coli strains are bad.

E. coli is the abbreviation for Escherichia coli, a bacteria found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals. It is pathogenic, meaning it can cause diseases and make people very sick. However, the majority of E.coli are no threat to the body and help the intestines.

According to the Center for Disease Control, "E. coli are used as markers for water contamination — so you might hear about E. coli being found in drinking water, which are not themselves harmful, but indicate the water is contaminated."

They come in multiple strains (STEC, ETEC, EPEC, EAEC, EIEC, and DAEC) that can cause symptoms like diarrhea (bloody), abdominal pain, nausea, and having a fever. The incubation period (when symptoms are noticed) starts three to four days after being exposed to the bacteria. Shiga-toxin (STEC), the most common strain of E. coli is the one that is associated with the Chipotle Mexican Grill outbreak.

According to Matt Egan of CNN Money, "Chipotle has suffered a 44 percent plunge in fourth-quarter profits as sales declined. The company also lost profits when the 'free burrito' offer was available, in hopes of comforting customers."

The first diagram below demonstrates the effect of E. coli in the body if someone were to eat undercooked, water- or feces- contaminated food. The second diagram is a visual of what E. coli looks like in a petri dish.

According to Carolyn Millman-Grantham, a Public Health Adjunct Professor at Southern Connecticut State University, "The first case of E. coli starts at hamburger meat, then it can be found in lettuce, apple cider, scallions, etc. and can be hard to remove off the surface when washed. With that being said, it is possible to get HUS (Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome) that can cause the kidneys to shut down."

HUS has symptoms that can decrease one's ability to urinate, make an individual feel tired, and lose the natural coloration in their cheeks or eyelids.

As a result, it is important that individuals are aware of the positives and negatives of E. coli and how to prevent themselves from getting sick.

Individuals should wash their hands thoroughly, cook meat well done, avoid consuming raw and unpasteurized milk products, cross-contaminating food, and swallowing river or lake water (as seen in the video below).