NAME
SOURCES
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
ONSET/DURATION
Improperly canned foods, home-canned vegetables, baked potatoes in foil, fermented fish
Vomiting, diarrhea, blurred vision, double vision, difficulty in swallowing, muscle weakness. Can result in respiratory failure and death.
Starts: 12–72 hrs.
Lasts: Variable
Botulism
Raw/ undercooked poultry, unpasteurized milk, contaminated water
Diarrhea, cramps, fever, and vomiting; diarrhea may be bloody
Starts: 2–5 days
Lasts: 2–10 days
Campylo-
bacteriosis
Caused by Salmonella
Eggs, poultry, meat, unpateurized milk
or juice, cheese, contaminated raw fruits and vegetables
Diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting
Starts: 6-4 hrs.
Lasts: 4-7 days
Salmonellosis
Caused by ingesting Hepatitis A
Contaminated drinking water, raw produce, uncooked and cooked foods that are not reheated after contact with an infected food handler; shellfish from contaminated waters
Diarrhea, dark urine, jaundice, and flu-like symptoms, i.e., fever, headache, nausea, and abdominal pain
Lasts: 2 weeks–
3 months.
Starts: 28 days
Hepatitis
Unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk, ready-to-eat deli meats
Fever, muscle aches,
nausea or diarrhea.
Pregnant women may
have mild flu and can
lead to premature delivery
or stillbirth. The elderly
may develop bacteremia
or meningitis.
Starts: 9–48 hrs, gastro-intestinal symptoms; 2–6 weeks, invasive disease
Lasts: Variable
Listeriosis
Viral gastro-
enteritis, winter diarrhea, acute
non-bacterial gastroenteritis,
food poisoning
and infection
Contaminated drinking water, raw produce, uncooked foods and cooked foods that
are not reheated
after contact with
an infected food handler, shellfish from contaminated waters
Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, fever, headache. Diarrhea is more prevalent in adults, vomiting more common in children.
Start: 12–48 hrs.
Lasts: 12–60 hrs.
Norovirus infections
May be remitting/
relapsing over
weeks to months
Contaminated or
uncooked food, contaminated
drinking water
Watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, upset stomach, slight fever
Starts: 2–10 days
Intestinal crypto-sporidiosis
Contaminated drinking water, raw produce, uncooked foods and cooked foods that
are not reheated
after contact with an
infected food handler
Abdominal cramps, fever, and diarrhea. Stools may contain blood and mucus.
Starts: 4–7 days
Lasts: 24–48 hrs.
Shigellosis
or Bacillary dysentery
Undercooked or raw seafood, such as shellfish
Watery (occasionally bloody) diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever
Starts: 4–96 hrs.
Lasts: 2–5 days
Vibrio para-
haemolyticus infection
Meats, stews, gravies, vanilla sauce
Abdominal cramps, Watery diarrhea, nausea
Starts: 0–16 hrs.
Lasts: 24–48 hrs.
B. cereus food
poisoning
Meats, poultry, gravy, dried/precooked/time and/or temperature-abused foods
Intense abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea
Starts: 8–16 hrs.
Lasts: 24 hrs.
Perfringens food
poisoning
May be remitting/
relapsing over
weeks to months
Starts: 1–14 days
Various types of fresh produce (imported berries, lettuce, basil)
Watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, substantial loss
of weight, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fatigue
Cyclosporiasis
Water or food contaminated
with human feces
Watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, some vomiting
Starts: 1–3 days
Lasts: 3–7 + days
Common cause of “travelers’ diarrhea”
E. coli
Undercooked beef, unpasteurized milk/
juice, raw fruits and vegetables, and contaminated water
Severe/bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting. Usually, little/
no fever is present. More common in children 4
years or younger. Can
lead to kidney failure.
Starts: 1–8 days
Lasts: 5–10 days
E. coli O157:
H7 infection
Hemorrhagic colitis
Undercooked or raw seafood, such as shellfish (especially oysters)
Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, blood-borne infection, fever, bleeding within the skin, ulcers. Can be fatal to persons with liver disease or weakened immune systems.
Starts: 1–7 days
Lasts: 2–8 days
Vibrio
vulnificus infection