Frequently Asked Questions
- Q. What is foodborne illness and what are the symptoms?
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Foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning, can be caused by a variety of microbes such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. Harmful toxins or chemicals present in food also may cause foodborne illness.
Different causes of food poisoning cause different symptoms, so there is no one syndrome that is foodborne illness; however, common symptoms include abdominal cramping, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, fever, headache, fatigue, and body aches.
Generally, after contaminated food is consumed there is a delay before food poisoning symptoms start. This delay is called the “incubation period”. The incubation period of a foodborne illness can range from less than an hour (which is rare) to days or weeks, and depends on the organism causing the illness and the amount ingested. This means that the last foods consumed before symptoms start are not always the source of a person’s illness.
O. Peter Snyder, Jr. Ph.D., with the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management, prepared charts on the incubation period and symptoms for several causes of foodborne illness. Below are links to the detailed charts.
USUAL INCUBATION / ONSET PERIOD RANGES FOR SELECT FOODBORNE DISEASES
- Q. If my child or I have diarrhea, should I see a doctor?
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You should see a health care provider if your diarrhea lasts more than a day or two, if you have severe abdominal pain, or if you have a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, if you have blood in your stool or if your stool appears black and tarry, or if you have signs of dehydration. Signs of dehydration include thirst, infrequent or no urination, dry skin, high fever, listlessness, or irritability.
If your child has diarrhea, do not hesitate to call your health care provider for advice. If the child shows no improvement within 24 hours, has stools containing blood or pus, or has a temperature above 101.4 degrees Fahrenheit, contact your health care provider immediately. Because a child can die from dehydration within a few days, contact your health care provider at once if you suspect your child is dehydrated.
- Q. What are the causes of diarrhea?
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Diarrhea – loose, watery stools occurring more than three times in one day – is a common problem. There are many causes of diarrhea. Temporary diarrhea lasting three weeks or less could be a symptom of a foodborne illness and is usually related to bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection. Temporary diarrhea may also be caused by food intolerances, food allergies, or reactions to medicines.
Chronic diarrhea lasts more than three weeks and is often related to disorders like irritable bowel syndrome or diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease. Some people develop diarrhea after stomach surgery or after removal of the gallbladder. In many cases, the cause of chronic diarrhea cannot be found.
- Q. What is the stomach flu?
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Many people use the term “stomach flu” or “24-hour flu” to describe symptoms of nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Although these symptoms can be related to illness caused by influenza viruses, experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suspect that many of the intestinal illnesses commonly referred to as “stomach flu” are actually caused by foodborne pathogens. Influenza or “the flu” is primarily an illness of the respiratory system caused by influenza viruses that are spread from person-to-person through coughing or sneezing. If diarrheal symptoms do not occur with respiratory symptoms, a person may actually have food poisoning.
- Q. My doctor said I had “acute gastroenteritis”. What does this mean?
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Technically, gastroenteritis refers to irritation of the stomach and intestines. Health care providers frequently use “gastroenteritis” or “acute gastroenteritis” as nonspecific terms to describe diarrheal illness suspected to be caused by an infectious agent. Other symptoms can include abdominal cramping, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
