Food Poisoning and Safe Food Handling
Symptoms
The symptoms of food poisoning usually affect your stomach and intestines (gastrointestinal tract).
- The first symptom is usually diarrhea.
- Other symptoms include feeling sick to your stomach (nausea), vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
The time it takes for symptoms to appear, how severe the symptoms are, and how long the symptoms last depend on the infecting organism, your age, and your overall health.
The very young and the very old may be most affected by food poisoning. Their symptoms may last longer, and even the types of food poisoning that are typically mild can be life-threatening. This may also be true for pregnant women and people with impaired immune systems, such as those with long-lasting (chronic) illnesses.
Not all food poisoning results in diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. Some types of food poisoning have different or more severe symptoms. These can include weakness, numbness, confusion, or tingling of the face, hands, and feet.
Follow the links below for more information, including specific symptoms for each organism:
- Botulism (Clostridium botulinum)
- Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter)
- Listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes)
- Marine toxins
- Noroviruses
- Perfringens food poisoning (Clostridium perfringens)
- Salmonellosis (Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis)
- Shigellosis (Shigella)
- Staph food poisoning (Staphylococcus aureus)
- Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii)
- Vibrio vulnificus food poisoning (Vibrio vulnificus)
Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting, can also be caused by organisms that are not necessarily spread through food. These organisms are mainly spread through water or personal contact. Conditions caused by these organisms include infection with the parasite Giardia lamblia.
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| Author: | Monica Rhodes | Last Updated: May 27, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Christine Hahn, MD - Epidemiology Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine | |
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