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Food Poisoning 4/26/2010

What is food poisoning?
Food poisoning is the result of eating organisms or toxins in contaminated food. Most cases of food poisoning are from common bacteria like Staphylococcus or E. coli. Food poisoning can affect one person or it can occur as an outbreak in a group of people who all ate the same contaminated food. Botulism is a very serious form of food poisoning that can be fatal. It can come from improper home canning. Even though food poisoning is relatively rare in the United States, it affects between 60 and 80 million people worldwide each year and results in approximately 6 to 8 million deaths.

Food poisoning tends to occur at picnics, school cafeterias, and large social functions. These are situations where food may be left unrefrigerated too long or food preparation techniques are not clean. Food poisoning often occurs from undercooked meats or dairy products (like mayonnaise mixed in coleslaw or potato salad) that have sat out too long.

Infants, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and elderly people have the greatest risk for food poisoning. You are also at higher risk if you have a serious medical condition, like kidney disease or diabetes, a weakened immune system, or you travel outside of the U.S. to areas where there is more exposure to organisms that cause food poisoning.

What are the symptoms of food poisoning? 
The symptoms from the most common types of food poisoning generally start within 2 to 6 hours of eating the food responsible. That time may be longer or shorter, depending on the toxin or organism responsible for the food poisoning. The possible symptoms include:

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Abdominal cramps
  • Diarrhea
  • Fever and chills
  • Weakness 
  • Headache
  • If you suspect you have food poisoning, contact your health care provider

Food poisoning prevention 
To prevent food poisoning, take the following steps when preparing food:

  • Carefully wash your hands and clean dishes and utensils.
  • Use a thermometer when cooking. Cook beef to at least 160°F, poultry to at least 180°F, and fish to at least 140°F.
  • DO NOT place cooked meat or fish back onto the same plate or container that held the raw meat, unless the container has been thoroughly washed.
  • Promptly refrigerate any food you will not be eating right away. Keep the refrigerator set to around 40°F and your freezer at or below 0°F. DO NOT eat meat, poultry, or fish that has been refrigerated uncooked for longer than 1 to 2 days.
  • DO NOT use outdated foods, packaged food with a broken seal, or cans that are bulging or have a dent.
  • DO NOT use foods that have an unusual odor or a spoiled taste.
  • Other steps to take:
  • If you take care of young children, wash your hands often and dispose of diapers carefully so that bacteria can't spread to other surfaces or people.
  • If you make canned food at home, be sure to follow proper canning techniques to prevent botulism.
  • DO NOT feed honey to children under 1 year of age.
  • DO NOT eat wild mushrooms.
  • When traveling where contamination is more likely, eat only hot, freshly cooked food. Drink water only if it's been boiled. Use ice cubes only if the water for the ice has been boiled. DO NOT eat raw vegetables or unpeeled fruit.
  • DO NOT eat shellfish exposed to red tides.
  • If you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system, DO NOT eat soft cheeses, especially imported from countries outside the U.S.
  • If other people may have eaten the food that made you sick, let them know. If you think the food was contaminated when you bought it from a store or restaurant, tell the store and your local health department.

By phone, you can call the 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-800-926-2588 to get the contact information of your local health department. You can search for your local health department contact information in the 2-1-1 Idaho CareLine online database.