Name | Possible Symptoms
(from most to least common) | Foods Linked to Outbreaks | How Soon it Typically Strikes | How Soon it Typically Goes |
Bacillus cereus
(bacteria) | Two different forms of food poisoning:
Vomiting, nausea, occasional diarrhoea
Diarrhoea, abdominal pain, occasional nausea | Rice, starchy foods such as potato and pasta
Meat, casseroles, vegetable dishes, foods containing spices | 1 to 6 hours (vomiting)
10 to 12 hours (diarrhoea) | 12 to 24 hours |
Campylobacter
(bacteria) | Muscle pain, headache, fever followed by diarrhoea (can be bloody), abdominal pain, nausea | Undercooked chicken, raw milk, chicken liver paté, drinking water | 2 to 5 days,
range 1 to 10 days | 7 to 10 days |
| Ciguatera (toxin) | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pain, followed by neurological symptoms including headache, temperature reversal (hot things feel cold and cold things feel hot), dizziness, tingling, muscular weakness, irregular heartbeat | Grouper, barracuda, snapper, jack, mackerel, triggerfish (caught in tropical regions) | within 6 hours | Several days (neurological symptoms can last for weeks or months) |
| Clostridium botulinum (bacteria) | Nausea and vomiting followed by neurological symptoms including weakness, dizziness, double vision, difficulty speaking, swallowing and breathing, abdominal distension | Canned or bottled foods, especially vegetables and seafood products, garlic in oil | 12 to 36 hours | Get treatment immediately |
Clostridium perfringens
(bacteria) | Severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhoea, occasional vomiting and nausea | Meat dishes, especially rolled roasts, stuffed meat, soups, stews, gravies, pies | 10 to 12 hours, range 6 to 24 hours | 24 hours |
| Cryptosporidium parvum (parasite) | Watery diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps, weight loss | Drinking water, raw fruits and vegetables, apple juice, raw milk, salads | 3 to 11 days | 2 to 4 days |
| Cyclospora (parasite) | Watery diarrhoea; causes loss of appetite, weight loss, cramps, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches, low grade fever, extreme fatigue | Raspberries, lettuce, basil and basil pesto | 1 week | A few days to 30 days or more |
| E.coli 0157:H7 (bacteria) | Severe abdominal pain, watery (then bloody) diarrhoea, occasional vomiting | Uncooked minced meat, raw milk, lettuce, sprouts, unpasteurised fruit juices | 1 to 8 days | Get treatment immediately |
| Giardia intestinalis (parasite) | Diarrhoea, flatulence, stomach cramps | Raw vegetables, drinking water, salads, fruit salad, sandwiches | 1 to 3 weeks | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Hepatitis A (virus) | Fever, malaise, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, jaundice | Shellfish, salads, cold meats, sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, fruit juices, milk, milk products, infected food handlers | 10 to 50 days | 1 to several weeks |
| Listeria (bacteria) | Non-invasive: Diarrhoea, fever, muscle pain, headache, occasional abdominal cramps and vomiting
Invasive: Fever, headache, diarrhoea, vomiting, septicaemia, encephalitis, meningitis, spontaneous abortion or stillbirth | Long shelf life products stored under refrigeration such as deli meat and poultry products, smoked seafoods, cheeses (particularly soft-ripened cheeses), pre-cooked sausage products. Also raw milk, corn salad, coleslaw | Non-invasive: 11 hours to 7 days
Invasive: 1 day to 3 weeks | Get treatment immediately |
| Norwalk-like Virus | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, headache, low-grade fever | Shellfish, salads, sandwiches, cold meats, infected food handlers | 24 hours, range 10 to 50 hours | 24 to 60 hours |
| Salmonella (bacteria) | Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever, headache | Raw meats, poultry, raw milk and dairy products, seafoods, fresh produce (including sprouts), foods handled by infected foodhandlers, eg kebabs, sandwiches | 6 hours to 2 days | 1 to 7 days |
| Scombrotoxin (toxin) | Tingling or burning sensation in the mouth, upper body rash, reduced blood pressure, headache, itching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea | Fresh tuna, kahawai, mahi mahi, bluefish, sardines, mackerel, amberjack, abalone | A few minutes to few hours | 3 hours to several days |
Staphylococcus aureus
(bacteria) | Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, occasional diarrhoea | Ham, cooked meats, yoghurt, chicken salad, pasta dishes, bakery products, especially cream-filled, cheese | 2 to 4 hours, range 30 minutes to 7 hours | 12 to 24 hours |
| Vibrio parahaemolyticus (bacteria) | Diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever, chills | raw oysters and clams, crabs, shrimp | 4 hours to 4 days | 1 to 7 days |
| Vibrio vulnificus (bacteria) | Diarrhoea (in healthy people), bloodstream infection (in people with liver disease, diabetes, or weak immune systems) | raw oysters and clams, crabs | within 16 hours (diarrhoea) | Get treatment immediately (bloodstream infection) |
| Yersinia enterocolitica (bacteria) | Adults – abdominal pain, headache, fever, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting
Children – watery, mucoid diarrhoea | Pork and pork products, dairy products, fruit, vegetables, tofu | 7 days, range 1 to 11 days | 2 to 3 days |