How do you know if you have food poisoning?
Foodborne illness, commonly called “food poisoning,” affects about 1 in 6 people in the United States each year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Symptoms can range from mild to very serious, with approximately 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths per year caused by foodborne illness in the U.S.
Five Most Common Foodborne Pathogens
So, how do you know if you might have food poisoning? Below, you’ll find a table with symptoms for the five most common foodborne pathogens that cause illnesses. However, please note that only a healthcare provider can confirm whether or not you have a foodborne illness.
| Pathogen | When Symptoms Appear | Common Symptoms |
|---|---|---|
|
Norovirus |
Generally 12-24 hours after exposure |
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain. Headache and low-grade fever may also accompany this infection. Lasts for 24 to 60 hours. |
|
Salmonella |
Generally 8-12 hours after eating |
Diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting. |
|
Clostridium perfringens |
Generally 8-12 hours after eating. |
Abdominal pain, diarrhea, and occasionally nausea and vomiting. Symptoms up to a day and are usually mild. Can be more serious in older or debilitated people. |
|
Campylobacter |
Generally 2-5 days after eating. |
Diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, and sometimes bloody stools. Lasts 7-10 days. |
|
Staphylococcus aureus |
Generally 30 minutes to 8 hours after eating. |
Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, cramps, and prostration. Lasts 24-48 hours. Rarely fatal. |
You can find a more detailed list of foodborne pathogens and their symptoms on our website.
What should you do if you have food poisoning?
Did you have any of the symptoms above? What should you do now? Don’t panic! Here’s a list of steps you can take:
Seek immediate help
Get help from a healthcare provider immediately if you are pregnant or if you have any severe symptoms, including:
- Bloody diarrhea or diarrhea that lasts more than three days
- Fever higher than 102°F (38.9°C)
- Vomiting so often you can’t keep liquids down
- Signs of dehydration, including not urinating much, dry mouth and throat, or feeling dizzy when standing up
Prevent dehydration
Drink plenty of fluids, especially if you are experiencing diarrhea or vomiting to prevent dehydration, which is a lack of water in the body.
Avoid spreading germs
Wash hands and surfaces often. Wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling food, as well as after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.
Preserve the evidence
If a portion of the suspect food is available, wrap it securely, mark “DANGER,” and freeze it. Save all packaging materials, such as cans or cartons. Write down the food type, the date, other identifying marks on the package, the time consumed, and when the onset of symptoms occurred. Save any identical unopened products.
Record foods eaten in the past seven days.
If you or your healthcare provider suspects foodborne illness, make a list of everything you ate in the seven days before symptoms began. Symptoms can appear anywhere between four hours to one week after ingesting a contaminated food item. This information may assist in determining the cause of your illness, and can help the health department verify if your illness is part of an outbreak.
Call the local health department
If the suspect food was served at a large gathering, from a restaurant or other food service facility, or if it is a commercial product, contact your local health department to inform them.
Request laboratory testing
If you or your doctor suspect a foodborne illness, it is important to run tests to determine which pathogen caused your illness to ensure you get the correct care and treatment. Identifying the pathogen can help treat you now and help you understand what issues may arise in the future.
What can you do to help prevent food poisoning?
Here are five easy steps you can take now to help prevent foodborne illness:
1. Wash your hands.
Studies have shown that handwashing can prevent 1 in 3 diarrhea-related sicknesses and 1 in 5 respiratory infections. Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.
2. Keep up to date on food recalls.
Recall notices can be found in the news, at your local grocery store, or online at www.recalls.gov. If you determine that a food recall product is in your home:
- Don’t eat the food.
- Don’t open the food.
- Check the recall notice to find out what to do with the food
3. Practice the core four
- When preparing meals at home, follow these core four food safety principles: clean, separate, cook and chill. Learn more about the core four food safety practices and how these practices can help prevent foodborne illness.
4. Cook with safe recipes
Safe recipes include food safety steps, like washing your hands, that lower the risk of getting foodborne illness. Studies have shown that when people follow recipes with basic food safety steps included, they are more likely to practice those steps. You can find delicious safe recipes to download, or you can turn your own recipe into a safe recipe using the Safe Recipe Style Guide!
5. Spread food safety awareness
- Talk to your friends and family about how to prevent foodborne illness. You can tell your family about the core four food safety practices, test your friends’ knowledge of common food safety myths, or teach kids how to Fight BAC-teria. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook to stay up to date.
