FOODBORNE ILLNESS
WHAT IS FOODBORNE ILLNESS?
Foodborne germs, including norovirus, listeria, salmonella, botulism and others, are microbes that cause food borne illness, also known as food poisoning.
Anyone can get a foodborne illness, and more than 48 million people each year in the U.S. are infected. People who are infected may experience mild to severe symptoms.
Prevention
It’s important to take steps to protect yourself from foodborne illness known as “food poisoning.”
Clean
The most important step in preventing “food poisoning” is keeping your spaces where food is prepared clean.
Wash your hands frequently while preparing or handling food and before you eat.
Frequently clean countertops, utensils, cutting boards and other food preparation items.
Chill
Practice safe handling of leftovers.
Keep your fridge at 40 degrees or below.
Put leftovers in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking, or 1 hour if exposed to high temperatures.
Separate
It is important to keep foods separated during preparation. This means keeping raw meat, including chicken, beef, pork, seafood and other meats, plus eggs, away from foods that are considered ready-to-eat.
Use separate cutting boards for raw meats.
Store raw meat in a separate area of the fridge, away from other foods.
Cook
Food should be cooked to the appropriate internal temperature to ensure harmful bacteria is killed.
Follow food safety guidelines around safe, internal temperatures.
Use a food thermometer.
Symptoms
Anyone can get a foodborne illness, and more than 48 million people each year in the U.S. are infected. People who are infected may experience mild to severe symptoms.
General Symptoms
Food poisoning symptoms can include:
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Upset stomach
Nausea
Severe Symptoms
Some illnesses can become severe and include these additional symptoms:
Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees
Bloody diarrhea or diarrhea that lasts for more than 3 days
Extreme vomiting that will not allow you to keep liquids down, leading to dehydration
Dehydration that causes dry mouth, dizziness, and decreased urinating
Long-Term Effects
While most food poisoning causes mild illness, some infections can become serious enough to cause more serious diseases, hospitalization or even death.
Food poisoning can cause these serious diseases: kidney damage and failure, brain and nerve damage, and meningitis.
These diseases can sometimes last for weeks or months.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Symptoms for food poisoning will vary, and it is important to monitor symptoms.
Stay Hydrated
Diarrhea and vomiting are common symptoms of food poisoning. Because both of these symptoms can cause dehydration, it is important to drink plenty of fluids and stay hydrated.
Dehydration can make food poisoning much more serious.
See a Doctor
If you are experiencing more severe symptoms, like bloody diarrhea, high fever, dehydration or any of the other severe symptoms listed above, you should see a doctor.
If you are pregnant and experiencing any of these symptoms, you should see a doctor immediately.
Diagnosis
The onset of symptoms can vary from germ to germ. Depending on the germ you have been exposed to, you may be sick within a few hours or it may take a few days.
View the CDC’s table on when symptoms typically occur for different germs >
Foodborne Outbreaks
When a foodborne outbreak is suspected, public health and other agencies work together to safeguard the public. This includes determining when and where the outbreak is occurring, how many people have been exposed, and how to minimize the impacts.
Foods that can cause food poisoning and outbreaks include:
Meat and poultry
Eggs
Fruits and vegetables
Raw milk and raw milk products
Seafood
Lettuce and other leafy greens
Sprouts
Raw flour