Food Poisoning Information
There are many different types of food poisoning. The most common are Campylobacter and Salmonella and unfortunately the numbers of people affected by Campylobacter is increasing year after year. Cases of Salmonella have declined due to immunisation of flocks
The young and the elderly are particularly at risk and those people whose job involves handling food, working with children or nursing may pass the infection onto others.
Below is some basic information about the most common types of food poisoning:
Campylobacter
Sources - undercooked poultry and meat, untreated milk or 'milk pecked' by birds, untreated water, contact with domestic animals and shellfish.
Symptoms - severe diarrhoea sometimes containing blood and abdominal pain
Spread - Via food (undercooked or via cross contamination, water or from animals.
Incubation period (the time it takes from eating the suspected food until symptoms begin) - 1-10 days, usually 2-5 days
Duration of illness - 2 days - 1 week
Control - Through cooking of poultry and meat, prevention of cross-contamination, pasteurisation of milk, water treatment and precautions when cleaning up after pets.
Salmonella
There are many different types of Salmonella, including typhi and paratyphi both known as enteric fever.
Sources - food such as raw eggs, undercooked poultry and meat, unpasteurised milk, infected food handlers and other people and animals.
Symptoms - diarrhoea, high fever, severe abdominal pain, vomiting.
Spread - Foodborne, due to inadequate cooking and/or cross-contamination made worse by poor handling/storage techniques. Sometimes directly from infected animals. Human to human contact from cases with diarrhoea.
Incubation period (the time it takes from eating the suspected food until symptoms begin) - usually 12-48 hours, occasionally up to 4 days.
Duration of illness - Up to 3 weeks. You may be a carrier for up to 12 weeks or longer after your symptoms have subsided.
Control - through cooking of poultry, meat and eggs. Good personal hygiene.
Reduction of risk of cross-contamination, good temperature control.
Bacillus cereus
Sources:
Food - cereal products, rice, spices, dried foods, milk and dairy products.
Environmental - soil, dust, sediments
Symptoms
a) nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps. Diarrhoea may occur later
b) Acute diarrhoea and abdominal pain
Spread
Food: Contaminated cooked food, particularly rice and pasta dishes, dried foods and dairy products
Environment: soil, dust and sediments
Incubation period (the time it takes from eating the suspected food until symptoms begin)
1- 5 hours
8-16 hours
Duration of illness
Usually no longer than 24-36 hours
Control
Correct cooking to minimise spore germination and multiplication. Cooked food should be held hot at 630C before consumption. Left over rice should be cooled quickly and placed in the fridge.
Ecoli – there are 2 types, one being carried by humans and Ecoli O157 caused by undercooked meat or unpasteurised/contaminated milk.
Sources
Humans
Symptoms
Diarrhoea with blood
Spread
Water, human contact via the faecal-oral route.
Incubation period (the time it takes from eating the suspected food until symptoms begin)
10 –18 hours
Duration of illness
2 weeks
Control
Good standards of personal hygiene, through cooking of food
Ecoli O157
Sources
Under cooked beef, contaminated/unpasteurised milk
Symptoms
Range from mild diarrhoea to more serious bloody diarrhoea and can cause kidney damage.
Spread
By food, water and humans via the faecal-oral route
Incubation period (the time it takes from eating the suspected food until symptoms begin)
12 – 60 hours
Duration of illness
Variable
Control
Through cooking of meat until piping hot or juices run clear. Avoid cross-contamination of food
Clostridium Botulinum
Sources
Environment, soil, marine sediments, intestinal tracts of fish and animals
Symptoms
Diarrhoea and vomiting followed by constipation, double vision, dry mouth, difficulty in swallowing, weakness of limbs, paralysis and respiratory failure
Spread
Raw, undercooked or under-processed foods.
Incubation period (the time it takes from eating the suspected food until symptoms begin)
2 hours - 5 days. Usually 12 – 36 hours
Duration of illness
Up to 6-8 months
Control
Food processing technology
Clostridium Perfringens
Sources
Faeces of animals and man, soil, sewage, dust, feeds of animal origin
Symptoms
Diarrhoea and abdominal pain
Spread
Contaminated bulk cooked meat and poultry dishes which have been left at ambient temperature during cooling and storage.
Incubation period (the time it takes from eating the suspected food until symptoms begin)
8 – 18 hours
Duration of illness
24 hours
Control
Adequate cooling, storage and re-heating of food
