Foodborne Illness

Foodborne illness ("food poisoning") is an infection or toxin from contaminated food or water. Most cases cause diarrhoea, vomiting, and cramps starting hours to a couple of days after eating. Most settle in a few days — but some bugs and groups of people are at higher risk of serious illness.

Common causes in India

• Norovirus, rotavirus — watery diarrhoea, often in outbreaks.
• Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, Campylobacter — often with blood or mucus in stool, fever.
• Staphylococcal toxin — rapid vomiting within hours of eating (common in leftover creamy or meat dishes).
• Vibrio cholerae (cholera) — profuse watery diarrhoea.
• Hepatitis A and E.
• Typhoid (enteric fever) — prolonged fever, belly pain, sometimes constipation more than diarrhoea.
• Amoebiasis, giardiasis — protozoan infections; can be longer-lasting.

Red flags — see a Health Expert or go to hospital

• Blood in stool or black tarry stools.
• High fever.
• Signs of dehydration — dry mouth, very little urine, dizziness.
• Severe belly pain.
• Symptoms lasting more than 5-7 days.
• Diarrhoea/vomiting in a young child, an older adult, a pregnant woman, or someone with chronic illness — lower threshold.
• Neurological symptoms (rare but serious — e.g. botulism).

What to do

• ORS early and often. Plain water alone is not enough when there is vomiting or profuse diarrhoea.
• Rest. Avoid heavy, spicy, oily food for a few days; eat plain khichdi, curd-rice, toast, banana when you can.
• Don't self-prescribe antibiotics — most foodborne illnesses are viral or self-limiting.
• Don't use strong anti-motility drugs if there is blood in stool or high fever.
• Wash hands often; isolate cooking utensils and towels while ill.

Prevention

• Drink clean (boiled, filtered or bottled) water.
• Eat freshly cooked, hot food — especially when travelling or from street vendors.
• Avoid cut fruit, salads washed in unsafe water, ice from unfamiliar sources.
• Wash vegetables and fruit well; wash hands before food preparation.
• Keep raw and cooked food separate.
• Refrigerate leftovers promptly in hot weather.
• Food-handlers with diarrhoea should not prepare food — essential in restaurants, canteens, homes with sick members.