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Food poisoning timeline and when you should see a doctor?
Food poisoning timeline
The food poisoning timeline can begin immediately, especially if it is a chemical contaminant. For bacterial, viral or parasitic agents that cause food poisoning the start of symptoms will vary from a few hours to a few weeks. The Mayo Clinic provides the following information of some of the possible contaminants, when you might start to feel symptoms and common ways the organism is spread.1
Contaminant |
Onset of symptoms |
Foods affected and means of transmission |
---|---|---|
Campylobacter |
2 to 5 days |
Meat and poultry. Contamination occurs during processing if animal feces contact meat surfaces. Other sources include unpasteurized milk and contaminated water. |
Clostridium botulinum |
12 to 72 hours |
Home-canned foods with low acidity, improperly canned commercial foods, smoked or salted fish, potatoes baked in aluminum foil, and other foods kept at warm temperatures for too long. |
Clostridium perfringens |
8 to 16 hours |
Meats, stews and gravies. Commonly spread when serving dishes don't keep food hot enough or food is chilled too slowly. |
Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 |
1 to 8 days |
Beef contaminated with feces during slaughter. Spread mainly by undercooked ground beef. Other sources include unpasteurized milk and apple cider, alfalfa sprouts, and contaminated water. |
Giardia lamblia |
1 to 2 weeks |
Raw, ready-to-eat produce and contaminated water. Can be spread by an infected food handler. |
Hepatitis A |
28 days |
Raw, ready-to-eat produce and shellfish from contaminated water. Can be spread by an infected food handler. |
Listeria |
9 to 48 hours |
Hot dogs, luncheon meats, unpasteurized milk and cheeses, and unwashed raw produce. Can be spread through contaminated soil and water. |
Noroviruses (Norwalk-like viruses) |
12 to 48 hours |
Raw, ready-to-eat produce and shellfish from contaminated water. Can be spread by an infected food handler. |
Rotavirus |
1 to 3 days |
Raw, ready-to-eat produce. Can be spread by an infected food handler. |
Salmonella |
1 to 3 days |
Raw or contaminated meat, poultry, milk, or egg yolks. Survives inadequate cooking. Can be spread by knives, cutting surfaces or an infected food handler. |
Shigella |
24 to 48 hours |
Seafood and raw, ready-to-eat produce. Can be spread by an infected food handler. |
Staphylococcus aureus |
1 to 6 hours |
Meats and prepared salads, cream sauces, and cream-filled pastries. Can be spread by hand contact, coughing and sneezing. |
Vibrio vulnificus |
1 to 7 days |
Raw oysters and raw or undercooked mussels, clams, and whole scallops. Can be spread through contaminated seawater |
According to the Mayo Clinic, treatment of serious food poisoning may include:
- Replacement of lost fluids. Fluids and electrolytes — minerals such as sodium, potassium and calcium that maintain the balance of fluids in your body — lost to persistent diarrhea need to be replaced. Some children and adults with persistent diarrhea or vomiting may need hospitalization, where they can receive salts and fluids through a vein (intravenously), to prevent or treat dehydration.
- Antibiotics. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if you have certain kinds of bacterial food poisoning and your symptoms are severe. Food poisoning caused by listeria needs to be treated with intravenous antibiotics during hospitalization. The sooner treatment begins, the better. During pregnancy, prompt antibiotic treatment may help keep the infection from affecting the baby. Antibiotics will not help food poisoning caused by viruses. Antibiotics may actually worsen symptoms in certain kinds of viral or bacterial food poisoning. Talk to your doctor about your options.
Adults with diarrhea that isn't bloody and who have no fever may get relief from taking over the counter medications; loperamide (Imodium A-D) or bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol). Ask your doctor about these options.
When you should talk to your doctor?
The CDC recommends to see your doctor if you have: – High fever (temperature over 101.5 F, measured orally) – Blood in the stools – Prolonged vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down (which can lead to dehydration) – Signs of dehydration, including a decrease in urination, a dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up.- – Diarrheal illness that lasts more than 3 days.
Here are some questions you can ask a doctor or another medical professional:
- What's the likely cause of the symptoms? Are there other possible causes?
- Is there a need for tests?
- What's the best treatment approach? Are there alternatives?
- Is there a need for medication? If yes, is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
- How can I ease the symptoms?
Some questions the doctor may ask include:
- Has anyone in your family or otherwise close to you developed similar symptoms? If so, did you eat the same things?
- Have you traveled anywhere where the water or food might not be safe?
- Are you having bloody bowel movements?
- Do you have a fever?
- Had you taken antibiotics in the days or weeks before your symptoms started?
- When did symptoms begin?
- Have the symptoms been continuous, or do they come and go?
- What foods have you eaten in the past few days?
In the meantime, you or your loved one who is sick should drink plenty of fluids and only eat bland foods to reduce stress on your digestive system. If your child is sick, follow the same approach — offer plenty of fluids and bland food. If you're breast-feeding or using formula, continue to feed your child as usual.
Ask your child's doctor if giving your child an oral rehydration fluid (Pedialyte, Enfalyte, others) is appropriate. Older adults and people with weakened immune systems might also benefit from oral rehydration solutions. Medications that help ease diarrhea generally aren't recommended for children.
For more information about:
Recalled Food
If you have food poisoning and want to check recently recalled foods, please visit this page:
Current Multistate Food Poisoning Outbreaks
When two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, the event is called a foodborne or food poisoning outbreak. Reporting illnesses to your local health department helps them identify potential outbreaks of foodborne disease. Public health officials investigate outbreaks to control them, so more people do not get sick in the outbreak, and to learn how to prevent similar outbreaks from happening in the future.
Here is a list of current multistate foodborne illness outbreaks.
Note:
1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20356230
Recent Interesting Reports
King Soopers, Dell Range Boulevard, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA
February 2, 2021 12:23 PM
“When he was eating the dip then he said he started to feel nauseous, his tummy hurt, threw up It started like 5to 10 min after he started eating it he was trying to keep it down . He was fine till he are that
Last night after he opend a new jar of quaso cheese dip. And it smelt like it's moldy. See Less”
ALDI, Tennessee 153, Chattanooga, Hixson, TN, USA
February 26, 2021 11:31 PM
“I Ate The Priano Rosso Pesto.
My Husband & I Are Violently Sick!! Please DO NOT EAT THIS!!! See Less”
Applebee's Grill + Bar, Plaistow Road, Haverhill, MA, USA
February 14, 2021 11:17 PM
“Today, assuming it was the food last night, I had the crispy oriental chicken salad, only ate a few bites of lettuce because it tasted almost dirty. Ate more of the chicken. Only me, and just under 24 hours , but I woke up nauseous the diarrhea started after 6pm See Less”

McDonald's, Sunrise Boulevard, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
February 28, 2021 12:52 AM
“On February 25th I had lunch there. after about an hour, I felt a burning sensation inside the abdomen, towards the end of the day, weakness and nausea appeared. The next morning on February 26th, I had a terrible headache and increased blood pressure, all of which continued along with nausea and... See Moreabdominal pain. on the third day, February 27, my stomach continues to hurt and blood appears in my stool. Also today I stopped there to buy coffee with a sandwich and found an ad on a paper sheet that says that the dish I ordered on February 25 «is no longer available due to quality». I made a picture. After that, I have no doubts about the reasons for my poisoning. See Less”
Cristino's Bakery, Aero Way, Gulet, CA, USA
February 17, 2021 1:26 PM
“Food I had a taco and had hives right away. The next day following vomiting and nausea. Still sick.
2/11/21 See Less”
Soom Soom Fresh Mediterranean - Westlake Village, Promenade Way, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
February 17, 2021 3:40 AM
“Boyfriend and I ate Beef Pita. The person handling the food mixed cooked and uncooked beef and put them in a grill to heat for less than two minutes. We didn’t think too much of it until we started feeling terrible. Bad headaches, stomach cramping, strong nausea, body pains, and no appetite two days... See Morelater. See Less”
Dole American Blend salad mix, Hy-Klas Foods, North East Street, Plattsburg, MO, USA
February 2, 2021 11:49 AM
“After eating the salad mix with my dinner I started a horrible headache And gastro Problems with in 30 minutes of eating, and then 2 hours latter I encountered Horrible diarrhea For an hour and a half or better And periodically throughout the night I'm still have somewhat of a headache this was on... See MoreFeb 2, 2021 See Less”
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, 2075 Hylan Dr, Rochester, NY 14623, United States
February 24, 2021 12:03 AM
“Went here On 2/23/21 got there crispy chicken bbq. And felt nauseous after , stomach cramps and light headed. See Less”
Burger King, North Shepherd Drive, Houston, TX, USA
February 24, 2021 12:48 AM
“Whopper meal with bacon & cheese large fries and large fountain drink See Less”
Duncan Hines Gooey Brownie, Walmart Supercenter, Easton-Nazareth Highway, Easton, PA, USA
February 17, 2021 1:45 AM
“Are it at 11:30, shared some with my 8 month old son, and my boyfriend who are both currently sleeping. 1:30AM and my stomach is stabbing me and I feel nauseous and light headed, I have really bad diarrhea and I’m hoping I don’t start vomiting See Less”