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By Root 9604 0

poisoning occur in the United States every year. The most common types of food poisoning include botulism, cryptosporidiosis, shigellosis, mushroom poisoning, traveler’s diarrhea; and campylobacter, cyclospora, E. coli, salmonella, and staphylococcus infections. Infection by the parasite that causes trichinosis from eating undercooked pork is now relatively rare, but it can be contracted from eating undercooked game meat such as bear, wolf, fox, or squirrel.

Symptoms

Many types of food poisoning cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea, but the different types also produce various characteristic symptoms. The chart below describes the sources of the most common types of food poisoning and their hallmark symptoms.

Type of Food Poisoning Common sources Symptoms

Botulism Contaminated home-canned food Muscle weakness, blurred vision, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, paralysis

Campylobacteriosis Raw or undercooked chicken Abdominal cramps and pain, fever, bloody diarrhea

Cryptosporidiosis Contaminated water, unpasteurized apple cider, raw vegetables and fruits Watery diarrhea, fever, chills, headache, body aches, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting

Cyclosporiasis Contaminated food Diarrhea

E. coli infection (or colibacillosis) Undercooked ground beef, alfalfa sprouts, unpasteurized apple cider Watery diarrhea, abdominal pain; can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (see page 429) in children and older people

Giardiasis Contaminated water Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain

Infant botulism Contaminated honey Muscle weakness, a weak cry, poor sucking, increased heart rate, constipation

Listeriosis Contaminated soft cheeses, unpasteurized milk, vegetables grown in soil fertilized with manure Fever, body aches, vomiting; can cause meningitis in people who have a weakened immune system

Mushroom poisoning Poisonous wild mushrooms Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, sweating, dizziness, seizures, hallucinations, liver or kidney damage

Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses Uncooked food contaminated with the feces of infected food handlers; contaminated drinking water and ice made from contaminated water Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, muscle aches, headache, fatigue, fever

Salmonellosis Undercooked poultry and eggs Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, headache, fever, severe dehydration

Shigellosis Food or water contaminated with the feces of infected food handlers Bloody diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps

Staphylococcosis Contaminated, hand-prepared food, such as sandwich spreads Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

Traveler’s diarrhea Food or beverages contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites Watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, nausea, vomiting

Vibriosis Contaminated fish or shellfish Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, headache, fever

Diagnosis

Most cases of food poisoning improve on their own within 2 or 3 days. Call your doctor if your fever is higher than 102ºF, if blood appears in your stool, if you are dehydrated, or if the diarrhea lasts longer than 3 days. To diagnose the source of the food poisoning, your doctor will take a sample of your stool and send it to a laboratory for testing.

Treatment

There are many different kinds of food poisoning and they may require different treatments, depending on the cause. Most cases cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can cause dehydration. You should replace lost fluids by drinking plenty of liquids or an oral rehydration solution. You can help relieve diarrhea by taking the over-the-counter drug bismuth subsalicylate. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics only if the food poisoning was caused by bacteria such as shigella, salmonella, or campylobacter.

Handling Food Safely

Bacteria and other microorganisms that cause food poisoning can quickly contaminate the food in your kitchen if you don’t handle it carefully. Poultry, especially, is a major source of contamination with salmonella bacteria, which can also be harbored by raw eggs. Most cases of food poisoning are caused by the