What You Need to Know about Foodborne Illnesses Flashcards
Organism: B. cereus Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
B. cereus food poisoning 10-16 hrs Abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea, nausea 24-48 hours Meats, stews, gravies, vanilla sauce
Campylobacter jejuni
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
Campylobacteriosis
2-5 days
Diarrhea, cramps, fever, and vomiting; diarrhea may be bloody
2-10 days
Raw and undercooked poultry, unpasteurized milk,contaminated water
Clostridium botulinum
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
Botulism
12-72 hours
Vomiting, diarrhea, blurred vision, double vision, difficulty in swallowing, muscle weakness. Can
result in respiratory failure and death
Variable
Improperly canned foods, especially home-canned vegetables, fermented fish, baked potatoes in aluminum foil
Clostridium perfringens
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
Perfringens food poisoning
8–16 hours
Intense abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea
Usually 24 hours
Meats, poultry, gravy, dried or precooked foods, time and/or temperature-abused foods
Cryptosporidium
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
Intestinal cryptosporidiosis
2-10 days
Diarrhea (usually watery), stomach cramps, upset stomach, slight fever
May be remitting and relapsing over weeks to months
Uncooked food or food contaminated by an ill food handler after cooking, contaminated drinking water
Cyclospora cayetanensis
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
Cyclosporiasis
1-14 days, usually at least 1 week
Diarrhea (usually watery), loss of appetite, substantial loss of weight, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fatigue
May be remitting and relapsing over weeks to months
Various types of fresh produce (imported berries, lettuce, basil)
E. coli (Escherichia coli) producing toxin
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
E. coli infection (common cause of “travelers’ diarrhea”)
1-3 days
Watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, some vomiting
3-7 or more days
Water or food contaminated with human feces
E. coli O157:H7
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
Hemorrhagic colitis or E. coli O157:H7 infection
1-8 days
Severe (often bloody) diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting. Usually, little or no fever is present. More common in children 4 years or younger. Can lead to kidney failure.
5-10 days
Undercooked beef (especially hamburger), unpasteurized milk and juice, raw fruits and vegetables (e.g. sprouts), and contaminated water
Hepatitis A
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
Hepatitis
28 days average (15- 50 days)
Diarrhea, dark urine, jaundice, and u-like symptoms, i.e., fever, headache, nausea, and abdominal pain
Variable, 2 weeks - 3 months
Raw produce, contaminated drinking water, uncooked foods and cooked foods that are not reheated after
contact with an infected food handler; shellfish from contaminated waters
Listeria monocytogenes
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
Listeriosis
9-48 hrs for gastrointestinal symptoms,
2-6 weeks for invasive disease
Fever, muscle aches, and nausea or diarrhea. Pregnant women may have mild u-like illness, and infection can lead to premature delivery or stillbirth. The elderly or immunocompromised patients may develop bacteremia or meningitis.
Variable
Unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk, ready to-eat deli meats
Noroviruses
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
Variously called viral gastroenteritis, winter diarrhea, acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis, food poisoning, and
food infection
12-48 hrs
Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, fever, headache. Diarrhea is more prevalent in adults, vomiting more common in children.
12-60 hrs
Raw produce, contaminated drinking water, uncooked foods and cooked foods that are not reheated after
contact with an infected food handler; shellfish from contaminated waters
Salmonella
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
Salmonellosis
6-48 hours
Diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting
4-7 days
Eggs, poultry, meat, unpasteurized milk or juice, cheese, contaminated raw fruits and vegetables
Shigella
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
Shigellosis or Bacillary dysentery
4-7 days
Abdominal cramps, fever, and diarrhea. Stools may contain blood and mucus.
24-48 hrs
Raw produce, contaminated drinking water, uncooked foods and cooked foods that are not reheated after
contact with an infected food handler
Staphylococcus aureus
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
Staphylococcal food poisoning
1-6 hours
Sudden onset of severe nausea and vomiting. Abdominal cramps. Diarrhea and fever may be present.
24-48 hours
Un-refrigerated or improperly refrigerated meats, potato and egg salads, cream pastries
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Common Name of Illness Onset Time After Ingesting Signs & Symptoms Duration Food Sources
V. parahaemolyticus infection
4-96 hours
Watery (occasionally bloody) diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever
2-5 days
Undercooked or raw seafood, such as shellfish
