What is the most common form of food poisoning

Some foods are more associated with foodborne illnesses and food poisoning than others. They can carry harmful germs that can make you very sick if the food is contaminated.

• Raw foods of animal origin are the most likely to be contaminated, specifically raw or undercooked meat and poultry, raw or lightly cooked eggs, unpasteurized (raw) milk, and raw shellfish.
• Fruits and vegetables also may get contaminated.
• While certain foods are more likely to make you sick, any food can get contaminated in the field, during processing, or during other stages in the food production chain, including through cross-contamination with raw meat in kitchens.

Learn more about the foods that are more associated with food poisoning and how to avoid getting sick from them:

Thoroughly cooking chicken, poultry products, and meat destroys germs.

Raw and undercooked meat and poultry can make you sick. Most raw poultry contains Campylobacter. It also may contain Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, and other bacteria. Raw meat may contain Salmonella, E. coli, Yersinia, and other bacteria.

• You should not wash raw poultry or meat before cooking it, even though some older recipes may call for this step. Washing raw poultry or meat can spread bacteria to other foods, utensils, and surfaces, and does not prevent illness.
• Thoroughly cook poultry and meat. You can kill bacteria by cooking poultry and meat to a safe internal temperatureexternal icon.
• Use a cooking thermometer to check the temperature. You can’t tell if meat is properly cooked by looking at its color or juices.
• Leftovers should be refrigerated at 40°F or colder within 2 hours after preparation. Large cuts of meat, such as roasts or a whole turkey, should be divided into small quantities for refrigeration so they’ll cool quickly enough to prevent bacteria from growing.

Foodborne Germs and Poultry and Meat

Tips for Preparing Chicken, Turkey, and Other Meats

To prevent infection with Listeria and other harmful germs, don’t consume raw milk or soft cheeses and other products made from raw milk.

You can get very sick from raw (unpasteurized) milk and products made with it, including soft cheeses (such as queso fresco, blue-veined, feta, brie and camembert), ice cream, and yogurt. That’s because raw milk can carry harmful germs, including Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella.

• Raw milk is made safe through pasteurization, which requires just enough heat for just long enough to kill disease-causing germs.
• Most of the nutritional benefits of drinking raw milk are also available from pasteurized milk, without the risk.
• Although Listeria infection is very uncommon, it can sicken pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
• Listeria infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, preterm labor, and serious illness and even death in newborns.

Learn About the Dangers of Raw Milk and Soft Cheeses

Cook eggs until the yolks and whites are firm.

Eggs can contain a germ called Salmonella that can make you sick, even if the egg looks clean and uncracked. Use pasteurized eggs and egg products when preparing recipes that call for raw or undercooked eggs. In addition:

• Avoid foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs, such as homemade Caesar salad dressing and eggnog.
• Cook eggs until the yolks and whites are firm.
• Cook foods containing eggs thoroughly.
• Keep eggs refrigerated at 40°F or colder.
• Do not taste or eat raw batter or dough.

Tips for Preparing and Eating Eggs

• Salmonella and Eggs
• Eggs and Egg Productsexternal icon

Raw or undercooked oysters can contain Vibrio bacteria, which can lead to an infection called vibriosis.

Cook seafood to 145°F, and heat leftover seafood to 165°F. To avoid foodborne infection, do not eat raw or undercooked fish, shellfish, or food containing raw or undercooked seafood, such as sashimi, some sushi, and ceviche.

Oysters and Food Poisoning

• Oysters and other filter-feeding shellfish can contain viruses and bacteria that can cause illness or death.
• Oysters harvested from contaminated waters can contain norovirus.
• To avoid food poisoning, cook oysters well.

Food Safety for Seafood and Oysters

• Oysters and Vibriosis
• Seafoodexternal icon

Cook sprouts thoroughly to reduce the chance of food poisoning.

The warm, humid conditions needed to grow sprouts are also ideal for germs to grow. Eating raw or lightly cooked sprouts, such as alfalfa, bean, or any other sprout, may lead to food poisoning from Salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria. Thoroughly cooking sprouts kills the harmful germs and reduces the chance of food poisoning.

You should never taste raw dough or batter.

Flour is typically a raw agricultural product that hasn’t been treated to kill germs. Harmful germs can contaminate grain while it’s still in the field or at other steps as flour is produced. Bacteria are killed when food made with flour is cooked. That’s why you should never taste raw dough or batter.

• Say No to Raw Dough
• Flour, Raw Dough, and Raw Batterexternal icon

After you swallow an unsafe (contaminated) food or drink, it may take hours or days to develop symptoms. If you have symptoms of food poisoning, such as diarrhea or vomiting, drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration (not having enough water in your body).

When to See a Doctor for Food Poisoning

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

• Bloody diarrhea
• High fever (temperature over 102°F, measured in your mouth)
• Frequent vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down (which can lead to dehydration)
• Signs of dehydration, including little or no urination, a very dry mouth and throat, or feeling dizzy when standing up
• Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days

Serious Health Problems and Long-Term Effects From Food Poisoning

Most people have only mild illnesses, lasting a few hours to several days. However, some people need to be hospitalized, and some illnesses cause long-term health problems or even death. Infections spread by food can lead to:

• Chronic arthritis
• Brain and nerve damage
• Kidney failure caused by hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)

Some germs make you sick within a few hours after you swallow them. Others may take a few days to make you sick. This list provides the symptoms, when symptoms begin, and common food sources for germs that cause food poisoning. The germs are listed in order of how quickly symptoms begin.

• Symptoms begin 30 minutes to 8 hours after exposure: Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps. Most people also have diarrhea.
• Common food sources: Foods that are not cooked after handling, such as sliced meats, puddings, pastries, and sandwiches

• Symptoms begin 2 to 48 hours after exposure: Watery diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, fever, chills
• Common food sources: Raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters

• Symptoms begin 6 to 24 hours after exposure: Diarrhea, stomach cramps. Usually begins suddenly and lasts for less than 24 hours. Vomiting and fever are not common.
• Common food sources: Beef or poultry, especially large roasts; gravies; dried or precooked foods

• Symptoms begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure: Diarrhea, nausea/stomach pain, vomiting
• Common food sources: Leafy greens, fresh fruits, shellfish (such as oysters), or unsafe water
  Other sources: Infected person; touching surfaces that have the virus on them

• Symptoms begin 18 to 36 hours after exposure: Double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech. Difficulty swallowing and breathing, dry mouth. Muscle weakness and paralysis. Symptoms start in the head and move down as the illness gets worse.
• Common food sources: Improperly canned or fermented foods, usually homemade. Prison-made illicit alcohol (pruno).

• Symptoms begin 3 to 4 days after exposure: Severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. Around 5­­–10% of people diagnosed with E. coli develop a life-threatening health problem.
• Common food sources: Raw or undercooked ground beef, raw (unpasteurized) milk and juice, raw vegetables (such as lettuce), raw sprouts, unsafe water

• Symptoms begin 1 week after exposure: Watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Stomach cramps/pain, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue.
• Common food sources: Raw fruits or vegetables and herbs

• Symptoms usually begin within 2 weeks after exposure: Pregnant women usually have a fever and other flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle aches. Infections during pregnancy can lead to serious illness or even death in newborns. Other people (most often older adults): headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches.
• Common food sources: Queso fresco and other soft cheeses, raw sprouts, melons, hot dogs, pâtés, deli meats, smoked seafood, and raw (unpasteurized) milk