Symptoms of Food Poisoning

Most people have only mild illnesses, lasting a few hours to several days. However, some develop severe illness requiring hospitalization, and some illnesses result in long-term health problems or even death. Infections transmitted by food can result in chronic arthritis, brain and nerve damage, and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which causes kidney failure.

Symptoms and Sources of Foodborne Illnesses

Germ	Type	Typical Signs and Symptoms	Typical Time for Symptoms to Appear	Common Food Sources
Campylobacter	Bacteria	Diarrhea (often bloody), stomach cramps/pain, fever	2 to 5 days	Raw or undercooked poultry Raw (unpasteurized) milk Contaminated water
Clostridium botulinum	Bacteria	Symptoms start in the head and move down as severity increases. Symptoms include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, muscle weakness, difficulty breathing and paralysis.	18 to 36 hours	Improperly canned or fermented foods, usually homemade Prison-made illicit alcohol
Clostridium perfringens	Bacteria	Diarrhea, stomach cramps. Vomiting and fever are uncommon	6 to 24 hours (typically 8 to 12). The illness usually begins suddenly and lasts for less than 24 hours	Beef Poultry Gravies Dried or precooked foods
Cyclospora	Parasite	Watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps/pain, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue. Vomiting, body aches, headache, fever, and other flu-like symptoms may occur.	1 week	Raw fruits, vegetables, and herbs
Escherichia coli, Shiga toxin-producing, such as O157	Bacteria	Severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. If there is fever, usually it is less than 101˚F. Around 5-10% of people diagnosed with this infection develop a life-threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure.	3 to 4 days after exposure, but may be as short as 1 day or long as 10 days	Raw or undercooked ground beef Unpasteurized (raw) milk and juice Raw vegetables, such as lettuce and sprouts Contaminated water
Listeria	Bacteria	Pregnant women: Pregnant women typically experience only fever and other flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle aches. However, infections during pregnancy usually lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn. People other than pregnant women (most often adults aged 65 and older): Symptoms can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches.	1 to 4 weeks	Raw (unpasteurized) milk Soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk, such as queso fresco, queso blanco, panela, brie, Camembert, blue-veined, or feta Raw sprouts Melons Hot dogs, pâtés, lunch meats, and cold cuts Smoked seafood
Norovirus	Virus	Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain	12 to 48 hours	Norovirus can spread from an infected person from contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. Leafy greens (such as lettuce), fresh fruits, shellfish (such as oysters)
Salmonella	Bacteria	Diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, vomiting	12 to 72 hours	Eggs Raw or undercooked poultry Raw or undercooked meat Unpasteurized milk or juice Cheese Raw fruits and vegetables
Vibrio	Bacteria	Watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills.	24 hours	Raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters

If you believe you or someone you know got sick from food, even if you don’t know what food it was, please report it to your local health department. Reporting your illness may help public health officials identify a foodborne disease outbreak and keep others from getting sick.

When to See a Doctor

If you experience symptoms of food poisoning, such as diarrhea or vomiting, drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

See your doctor or healthcare provider if you have symptoms that are severe, including:

High fever (temperature over 101.5°F, measured orally)
Blood in stools
Frequent vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down (which can lead to dehydration)
Signs of dehydration, including a marked decrease in urination, a very dry mouth and throat, or feeling dizzy when standing up.
Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days

Groups More Likely to Get Food Poisoning

Anyone can get a foodborne illness, but people in certain groups are more likely to get sick and to have a more serious illness. These groups of people are:

Children younger than 5 years
Adults aged 65 and older
People with immune systems weakened due to medical conditions such as diabetes, liver or kidney disease, alcoholism, and HIV/AIDS; or to receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Pregnant women

If you or someone you care for has a greater chance of food poisoning, it’s especially important to take steps to prevent food poisoning and to know which foods are more associated with food poisoning than others.