Food Poisoning

Salmonella Outbreak Slideshow Pictures Worst Meals in Restaurants Slideshow Pictures Food Frauds Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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• Food Poisoning Overview
• Food Poisoning Causes
• Food Poisoning Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Food Poisoning Diagnosis
• Food Poisoning Treatment
• Food Poisoning Self-Care at Home
• Food Poisoning Medical Treatment
• Food Poisoning Follow-up
• Food Poisoning Prevention
• Food Poisoning Prognosis
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Author and Editor
• Pictures of Salmonella - Slideshow
• Pictures of Worst Meals in Restaurants - Slideshow
• Pictures of Food Frauds - Slideshow
• Read more on Food Poisoning from Healthwise
• Viewer Comments: Food Poisoning - Remedies
• Viewer Comments: Food Poisoning - Symptoms
• Viewer Comments: Food Poisoning - Causes and Experience

Food Poisoning Overview

Food poisoning is a common, usually mild, but sometimes deadly illness. Typical symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea that occur suddenly (within 48 hours) after consuming a contaminated food or drink. Depending on the contaminant, fever and chills, bloody stools, dehydration, and nervous system damage may follow. These symptoms may affect one person or a group of people who ate the same thing (called an outbreak).

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in the United States, 1 in 6 people becomes sick from eating contaminated food. In 2001, the CDC estimated that food poisoning causes about 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and up to 3,000 deaths each year.
• Norovirus and salmonella are the most common infectious forms of food-borne illness. Salmonella causes the most deaths followed by Toxoplasma and Listeria.
• Worldwide, diarrheal illnesses are among the leading causes of death. Travelers to developing countries often encounter food poisoning in the form of traveler's diarrhea or "Montezuma's revenge." Additionally, there are possible new global threats to the world's food supply through terrorist actions using food toxins as weapons.
• Increased virulence of known pathogens has caused deadly outbreaks such as the E. Coli STEC outbreak in Germany in 2011.