Where is food poisoning found

For some types of bacterial food poisoning, your health care provider may give you a medicine that fights bacteria an antibiotic.

Health Home Conditions and Diseases. Food poisoning foodborne illness is caused by bacteria or viruses found in food. Millions of Americans get food poisoning each year. What causes food poisoning? Foods can also make you ill if they have a toxin or poison made by bacteria growing in the food. Several types of bacteria can cause food poisoning. Botulism can happen when: You eat low-acid foods that are not properly canned or preserved at home. These foods include meat, fish, poultry, or vegetables.

Infants eat raw honey or corn syrup. Babies younger than 1 year old should never have honey or corn syrup. Who is at risk for food poisoning? People who are at greater risk include: Young children. Older adults. Their immune systems don't work as well. Age-related changes in our senses of taste and smell also make it easier to eat contaminated food by mistake. Pregnant women. The unborn baby is also at risk. People with long-term chronic disease. People with diseases such as diabetes or cancer have weaker immune systems.

What are the symptoms of food poisoning? Symptoms may include: Belly cramps Watery or bloody diarrhea Nausea and vomiting Headache Fever Belly bloating and gas Food poisoning symptoms may look like other health problems.

How is food poisoning diagnosed? Your provider will also look at your past health. He or she will give you a physical exam. How is food poisoning treated?

They can carry harmful germs that can make you very sick if the food is contaminated. Learn more about the foods that are more associated with food poisoning and how to avoid getting sick from them:. 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. The safest fruits and vegetables are cooked; the next safest are washed.

Avoid unwashed fresh produce. Eating fresh produce provides important health benefits, but sometimes raw fruits and vegetables may cause food poisoning from harmful germs such as Salmonella , E. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be contaminated anywhere along the journey from farm to table, including by cross-contamination in the kitchen. 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.

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. These toxins are poisons the reason for the name "food poisoning" , and can cause diarrhea and vomiting. Usually, doctors use "food poisoning" to describe an illness that comes on quickly after eating contaminated food. People often get diarrhea or start throwing up within a few hours after being infected.

The good news is, food poisoning usually goes away quickly too. Most people recover in a couple of days with no lasting problems. In a few cases, severe food poisoning can mean a visit to the doctor or hospital. When people need medical treatment for food poisoning, it's often because of dehydration. Getting dehydrated is the most common serious complication of food poisoning. How food poisoning shows up depends on the germ that caused it. Sometimes a person will start to feel sick within an hour or two of eating or drinking contaminated food or liquid.

Other times, symptoms may not appear for a number of weeks. In most cases, symptoms will clear up within 1 to 10 days. In rare cases, food poisoning can make someone feel dizzy, have blurry vision, or notice tingling in the arms. In very rare cases, the weakness that sometimes goes along with food poisoning will cause trouble breathing. When people eat or drink something that's contaminated with germs, they can get sick with food poisoning.

Often, people get food poisoning from animal-based foods — like meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, and seafood. But unwashed fruits, vegetables, and other raw foods also can be contaminated and make people sick. Even water can cause food poisoning. Foods and liquids can be contaminated at lots of different points during food preparation, storage, and handling. For example:. People with health conditions like chronic kidney disease or weakened immune systems are more at risk of getting ill from food poisoning than people who are in good health.

Salmonella bacteria are the leading cause of food poisoning in the United States. These bacteria usually get into foods when they come into contact with animal feces. The main causes of salmonella poisoning are eating dairy products, undercooked meat, and fresh produce that hasn't been washed well. Eating undercooked ground beef is the most common reason why people in the United States get E.

These bacteria are mostly found in unpasteurized dairy products, smoked seafood, and processed meats like hot dogs and luncheon meats. Listeria bacteria also can contaminate fruits and vegetables, although that's less common. These bacteria most commonly infect meat, poultry, and unpasteurized milk. Campylobacter also can contaminate water. As with other kinds of bacteria, these usually get into foods through contact with infected animal feces. Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria can be found in meats, prepared salads, and foods made with contaminated dairy products.

S aureus bacteria can spread through hand contact, sneezing, or coughing. That means that people who prepare or handle food can spread the infection.