As we reported recently, the Chipotle crisis continues to deepen, and it may not be over yet — which is why you should probably be aware of the unpleasant things that will happen if you get E. coli after eating in a restaurant serving tainted food.

The latest outbreak involves norovirus infections in the Boston area, but the restaurant chain is still trying to get a handle on the dozens of cases of E. coli poisoning that spanned stores in nine states and led to many restaurants being closed.

And since there is still a lot of mystery surrounding what caused this outbreak, you might want to think twice before eating at Chipotle, because dealing with E. coli poisoning is no joke.

Foodborne illnesses are actually quite common, and E. coli often leads to food recalls at stores and, in this cases, outbreaks at restaurants that serve tainted food. An outbreak can hit just about anywhere, including your town, and most of the public isn’t well prepared to deal with them.

There are an estimated 48 million cases in America each year, which result in 105,000 people going to the hospital and 2,000 deaths. There’s about a 15 percent chance that you’ll get sick in any given year.

And avoiding restaurants won’t keep you safe. Many of the cases are contracted in the home due to poor food preparation or cooking practices.

E. coli bacteria is one of the most common culprits. There are many strains of E. coli, and most are harmless and even live inside our body. But some strains are potentially deadly.

Usually, they won’t kill you, as long as you’re in relatively good health. E. coli mostly results in deaths in the elderly, the very young, and people with compromised immune systems.

But it certainly won’t be a good time. A person who gets it can expect terrible diarrhea, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and other unpleasant problems.

So how do you keep yourself safe? Wash your hands before eating food, don’t eat meat that is undercooked, and be careful not to cross contaminate.