Ate the whopper around 12:30. The texture was awfully dry, but otherwise seemed normal. Began to feel generally unwell and stomach pain around 14:30. By 15:30 I was nauseous and light headed. 16:30, began the severe vomiting and diarrhea, which has continued (currently ongoing). Note: I did
…
See More
not eat breakfast or anything else prior to the whopper. I drank bottled water at the location, drank the same filtered water as my fiancé at home this morning, and only ate a few fries (which my fiancé also ate, and he’s currently ok). No food since. I’m a molecular biologist with a focus on infectious diseases, and I know what to look for regarding food poisoning cases.
Update 30/03: I actually suspect it's a toxin-producing bacterium, such as *S. aureus*, especially considering the rapid onset of symptoms. We also don't have a high number of norovirus cases in our area, so it's not something that I would consider to be suspicious when weighing other factors like norovirus' incubation period, symptoms like fever and myalgia, and rapid spread. I'm also not in close contact with many other people or shared surfaces, further reducing the index of suspicion. On the other hand, *Staph aureus* is ubiquitously found and the enterotoxins produced are highly heat stable, making it more likely to be the causative agent if the meat was older, improperly handled (especially regarding hygiene practices) or stored, or not cooked to temperature. The more aggressive symptoms are beginning to subside, though I'm definitely not the happiest-of-campers at this time.
| Symptoms: Nausea, Diarrhea, Vomiting, Stomach Pain, Lightheaded
See Less
