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Food poisoning
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Food poisoning, also called foodborne illness, is illness caused by eating
contaminated food. Infectious organisms including bacteria, viruses and
parasites or their toxins are the most common causes of food poisoning.
Infectious organisms or their toxins can contaminate food at any point of
processing or production. Contamination can also occur at home if food is
incorrectly handled or cooked.
Food poisoning symptoms, which can start within hours of eating contaminated
food, often include nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Most often, food poisoning is
mild and resolves without treatment. But some people need to go to the hospital.
Food poisoning symptoms vary with the source of contamination. Most types of
food poisoning cause one or more of the following signs and symptoms:
Nausea
Vomiting
Watery diarrhea
Fever
Signs and symptoms may start within hours after eating the contaminated food, or
they may begin days or even weeks later. Sickness caused by food poisoning
generally lasts from a few hours to several days.
Contamination of food can happen at any point during its production: growing,
harvesting, processing, storing, shipping or preparing. Cross-contamination the
transfer of harmful organisms from one surface to another is often the cause.
This is especially troublesome for raw, ready-to-eat foods, such as salads or other
produce. Because these foods aren't cooked, harmful organisms aren't destroyed
before eating and can cause food poisoning.
Many bacterial, viral or parasitic agents cause food poisoning. The following table
shows some of the possible contaminants, when you might start to feel symptoms
and common ways the organism is spread.
Contaminant
Onset of
symptoms
Contaminant
Onset of
symptoms
Hepatitis A
28 days
Listeria
9 to 48
hours
Noroviruses
(Norwalk-like
viruses)
12 to 48
hours
Rotavirus
1 to 3 days
Salmonella
1 to 3 days
Shigella
24 to 48
hours
Staphylococcus
aureus
1 to 6 hours
Vibrio vulnificus
1 to 7 days
Whether you become ill after eating contaminated food depends on the organism,
the amount of exposure, your age and your health. High-risk groups include:
Older adults. As you get older, your immune system may not respond as
quickly and as effectively to infectious organisms as when you were
younger.
Escherichia coli (E. coli). Certain E. coli strains can cause a serious
complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome. This syndrome damages
the lining of the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys, sometimes leading to
kidney failure. Older adults, children younger than 5 and people with
weakened immune systems have a higher risk of developing this
complication. If you're in one of these risk categories, see your doctor at
the first sign of profuse or bloody diarrhea.
If you or your child needs to see a doctor, you'll likely see your primary care
provider first. If there are questions about the diagnosis, your doctor may refer
you to an infectious disease specialist.
What's the likely cause of the symptoms? Are there other possible causes?
Have you traveled anywhere where the water or food might not be safe?
Had you taken antibiotics in the days or weeks before your symptoms
started?
For a stool culture, your doctor will send a sample of your stool to a laboratory,
where a technician will try to identify the infectious organism. If an organism is
found, your doctor likely will notify your local health department to determine if
the food poisoning is linked to an outbreak.
In some cases, the cause of food poisoning can't be identified.
Treatment for food poisoning typically depends on the source of the illness, if
known, and the severity of your symptoms. For most people, the illness resolves
without treatment within a few days, though some types of food poisoning may
last longer.
Treatment of food poisoning may include:
Adults with diarrhea that isn't bloody and who have no fever may get relief from
taking the medication loperamide (Imodium A-D) or bismuth subsalicylate
(Pepto-Bismol). Ask your doctor about these options.
Food poisoning often improves without treatment within 48 hours. To help keep
yourself more comfortable and prevent dehydration while you recover, try the
following:
Let your stomach settle. Stop eating and drinking for a few hours.
Try sucking on ice chips or taking small sips of water. You might also
try drinking clear soda, clear broth or noncaffeinated sports drinks, such as
Gatorade. You're getting enough fluid when you're urinating normally and
your urine is clear and not dark.
Ease back into eating. Gradually begin to eat bland, low-fat, easy-todigest foods, such as soda crackers, toast, gelatin, bananas and rice. Stop
eating if your nausea returns.
Avoid certain foods and substances until you're feeling better. These
include dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and fatty or highly
seasoned foods.
Rest. The illness and dehydration can weaken and tire you.
Wash your hands, utensils and food surfaces often. Wash your hands
well with warm, soapy water before and after handling or preparing food.
Use hot, soapy water to wash utensils, cutting boards and other surfaces
you use.
Cook foods to a safe temperature. The best way to tell if foods are
cooked to a safe temperature is to use a food thermometer. You can kill
harmful organisms in most foods by cooking them to the right
temperature.
Cook ground beef to 160 F (71.1 C); steaks, roasts chops, such as lamb,
pork and veal, to at least 145 F (62.8 C). Cook chicken and turkey to 165 F
(73.9 C). Make sure fish and shellfish are cooked thoroughly.
Defrost food safely. Don't thaw food at room temperature. The safest way
to thaw food is to defrost it in the refrigerator. If you microwave frozen
food using the "defrost" or "50 percent power" setting, be sure to cook it
immediately.
Throw it out when in doubt. If you aren't sure if a food has been
prepared, served or stored safely, discard it. Food left at room temperature
too long may contain bacteria or toxins that can't be destroyed by cooking.
Don't taste food that you're unsure about just throw it out. Even if it
looks and smells fine, it may not be safe to eat.
Raw or undercooked eggs or foods that may contain them, such as cookie
dough and homemade ice cream
Soft cheeses, such as feta, Brie and Camembert; blue-veined cheese; and
unpasteurized cheese
References
1. Foodborne illness, foodborne disease, (sometimes called "food
poisoning"). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/facts.html. Accessed April 16, 2014.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Diagnosis and
management of foodborne illnesses: A primer for physicians and other
health care professionals. MMWR. 2004;53:1.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5304a1.htm. Accessed
April 16, 2014.
3. Acheson DWK. Patient information: Food-poisoning (foodborne illness).
http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 17, 2014.
4. Foodborne illness. National Digestive Diseases Information
Clearinghouse.
http://www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/bacteria/index.aspx.
Accessed April 16, 2014.
5. The big thaw Safe defrosting methods for consumers. Food Safety and
Inspection Service. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/foodsafety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-foodhandling/the-big-thaw-safe-defrosting-methods-for-consumers/CT_Index.
Accessed April 17, 2014.
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