Low urgency
Common-
Food poisoning occurs after ingestion of contaminated food or water.
Among the most frequent causes are handling with dirty hands, lack of cooking hygiene, spoiled food, unpasteurized dairy products and ingestion of water from wells or streams, or water from a city or town that has not been treated, etc.
Symptoms include abdominal pain (cramping), nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, fever and chills, headache and generalized weakness.
Diagnosis is made by clinical history, complete physical examination, blood and stool tests.
Treatment is based on symptom control, adequate rehydration and, depending on the case, the use of antibiotics.
- David WK Acheson, Differential diagnosis of microbial foodborne disease. UpToDate. Apr 12, 2016.
- Scharff RL. Health-related costs from foodborne illness in the United States. The Produce Safety Project at Georgetown University. www.producesafetyproject.org (Accessed on April 19, 2010).
- Crim SM, Griffin PM, Tauxe R, et al. Preliminary incidence and trends of infection with pathogens transmitted commonly through food - Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. sites, 2006-2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2015; 64:495.
- Gould LH, Walsh KA, Vieira AR, et al. Surveillance for foodborne disease outbreaks - United States, 1998-2008. MMWR Surveill Summ 2013; 62:1.
- Regina C. LaRocque, Edward T. Ryan, Stephen B. Calderwood. Diarreas infecciosas agudas e intoxicación alimentaria por bacterias. Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna. Volumen 2. 19º Edición. 852-857.
Dr. Oscar Garcia-Esquirol
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