Foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning, can cause issues ranging from mild stomach upset to serious health risks, including hospitalization, and in rare cases, death. We often see news stories about food recalls and restaurant closures due to foodborne illness outbreaks – but food poisoning can happen at home too if food isn’t handled or stored safely. It’s a lot to digest (literally and figuratively) so here we break down the basics of what food poisoning is, possible symptoms, food safety tips, and more.
What is food poisoning?
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that each year 48 million people in the U.S. get sick from a foodborne illness, with 128,000 being hospitalized, and around 3,000 dying as a result. While anyone can get food poisoning, certain groups are at higher risk, including people aged 65 and older, children under 5, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant individuals.
Food poisoning is caused by eating and drinking food or beverages contaminated with harmful bacteria or other germs. Once in the body, these germs multiply in the digestive system, causing infection and triggering symptoms.
Common causes of food poisoning include:
- Botulism
- Campylobacter
- Clostridium perfringens
- E. coli
- Hepatitis A
- Listeria
- Norovirus
- Salmonella
- Shigella
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Toxoplasma gondii
- Vibriosis
Symptoms and Treatment
Food poisoning symptoms can look like symptoms of the stomach flu (gastroenteritis), leading many people with mild cases of food poisoning to think they have the stomach flu.
The time it takes for food poisoning symptoms to start can vary widely. Illness often starts in 1 to 3 days, but symptoms may appear as soon as 30 minutes or take up to 3 weeks after eating contaminated food to develop. The length of time depends on the type of bacteria or virus causing the illness.
Symptoms can range from mild to very serious and can last from a few hours to several days. Common symptoms of food poisoning may include:
- Diarrhea
- Stomach pain or cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Belly bloating and gas
Treatment:
If you are experiencing mild symptoms, consider making an in-person or telehealth appointment with your primary care provider or at one of our urgent care clinics. Most mild cases of food poisoning are treated the same as the stomach flu and usually last less than a week. Here are a few tips for managing symptoms:
- Stay Hydrated: If you have diarrhea or vomiting, be sure to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. The goal is to replace lost fluids and ease your symptoms. Your provider may prescribe anti-nausea medicine to prevent vomiting.
- Antibiotics for Bacterial Infections: For some types of bacterial food poisoning, your provider may give you an antibiotic to fight bacteria.
- If Pregnant: If you are pregnant and have a fever and other flu-like symptoms, see your provider. Some mild infections can cause problems with pregnancy.
If you are experiencing severe symptoms, please visit the emergency department or call 911. If you aren’t sure whether a visit to the emergency department is needed, please go to the emergency department to be evaluated.
Severe symptoms include:
- Bloody diarrhea
- Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days
- High fever (temperature over 102°F)
- Vomiting so often you cannot keep liquids down
- Signs of dehydrations, which include not peeing much, a dry mouth and throat, and/or feeling dizzy when standing up
Safety tips and resources
The CDC offers four strategies for preventing food poisoning when cooking. In short:
Clean: wash your hands and surfaces often.
Separate: don’t cross-contaminate.
Cook to the right temperature.
Chill: refrigerate promptly.
Visit CDC.gov for further details these food poisoning prevention steps and strategies.
Read more food safety tips from the Washington State Department of Health.
Dining out:
Public Health – Seattle & King County offers a food inspection and rating system, as well as a guide for basic safe food handling procedures for restaurants.
Learn more about Public Health – Seattle & King County’s food inspection and safety rating system.
Are you experiencing food poisoning symptoms after dining out?
Notify the Washington State Department of Health about a foodborne illness or food safety concern.
Report a possible foodborne illness to King County Public Health.
Recalls and outbreak notices:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides information about FDA-regulated products.
The CDC offers a list with multistate food-related investigations.
Content derived from Staywell Health Library, CDC.gov, Washington State Department of Health, King County Public Health. Content in this article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
