Food poisoning is an
illness caused by eating contaminated food. The most common sources of
contamination are bacteria or toxic substances produced by bacteria. Some
viruses and fungi can also cause food poisoning.
Food poisoning is a
notifiable disease.
How
food poisoning occurs
Bacteria may
contaminate food as a result of farming or other production methods or poor
preparation, handling or storage of food. Contaminated food may not look, smell
or taste any different from food that is safe.
SIGNS
AND SYMPTOMS
Typical symptoms are a
sudden onset of:
nausea
vomiting
stomach cramps
diarrhoea.
The illness usually
lasts from less than 24 hours to several days depending on the cause.
Occasional severe cases last longer and may require hospitalisation.
While single cases of
food poisoning undoubtedly occur, they are difficult to detect and frequently
go unreported. Food poisoning is usually recognised as a typical illness
occurring in a group of people shortly after eating a common food.
Diagnosis
Detection of large
numbers of certain bacteria in suspect food samples and detection of the same
bacteria in samples of faeces from affected people confirm the
diagnosis of food poisoning.
Incubation period
(time between becoming
infected and developing symptoms)
Varies depending on the
cause, but usually from a few hours to a few days. Although many ill people
blame a food they ate before they got ill, experience indicates that this food
is usually not the cause of the illness.
Infectious period
(time during which an
infected person can infect others)
Depends on what has
caused the illness. Not all causes of food poisoning are able to be spread from
person-to-person, but some are.
TREATMENT
Treatment varies
depending on what is the cause of the food poisoning. Usually these illnesses
do not require antibiotic treatment.
PREVENTION
If the cause is not
known, it should be assumed that it may be possible to spread from
person-to-person, or for an infected person to contaminate food and indirectly
infect others. Therefore:
Exclude from childcare,
preschool, school or work until there has been no diarrhoea or vomiting
for 24 hours. If working as a food handler in a food business, the exclusion
period should be until there has been no diarrhoea or vomiting for 48 hours
follow good hand
washing and keeping areas clean procedures
good food handling
procedures should always be followed
do not allow people
affected by food poisoning to prepare food for others until there has been no
diarrhea or vomiting for 24 hours
people who have
diarrhoea should not use public swimming pools until there has been no
diarrhoea for at least 24 hours
babies and small
children who are not toilet trained should wear tight fitting waterproof pants
or swimming nappies in swimming pools and changed regularly in the change room.
When faecal accidents occur, swimming pools should be properly disinfected.
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