What Are Foodborne Illnesses?

​​​​​​​​​​What is foodborne illness?

Foodborne illness (food poisoning) is caused by consuming contaminated food, beverages, or water and can be a variety of bacteria, parasites, viruses and/or toxins. Many of these pathogens can be acquired through more than just food, beverages, or water. They may be acquired through person-to-person spread, animal contact, the environment, and recreational or drinking water.

Symptoms of foodborne illness

The incubation period (the time between exposure to the pathogen and onset of symptoms) may begin within hours after being exposed or may begin days later. Common symptoms of foodborne illness are:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Stomach cramps
  
• Fever
  
• Fatigue 
  

Causes of foodborne illness

• Amebiasis
  
• Botulism
  
• Campylobacter
• Clostridium perfringen
  
• Crypt​osporidium​
  
• Cyclospora
  
• E.coli (Escherichia coli)
  
• Giardia
  
• Listeria
  
• Norovirus
  
• Salmonella
  
• Shigella
  
• Typhoid Fever and Paratyphoid Fever
  
• Vibrio
  
• Yersinia enterocolitica