Low urgency
Common-
Food poisoning occurs when contaminated food or water is consumed.
The most common causes are handling food with dirty hands, poor hygiene during cooking, food in poor condition, unpasteurised milk, drinking water from wells and streams or from towns and cities with untreated raw water, etc.
Symptoms include abdominal pain (colic), nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and chills, headache and general weakness.
Diagnosis is based on a medical history, a full physical examination, blood tests and stool cultures.
Treatment consists of symptom control, adequate rehydration and, in some cases, 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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