Report a Foodborne Illness (food poisoning)

What is Foodborne Illness?

Foodborne illness occurs when a person gets sick by eating food that has been contaminated with an unwanted microorganism or pathogen. This condition is often called "food poisoning". Bacteria, parasites and viruses are microorganisms that can cause foodborne illness. Many cases of foodborne illness go unreported because their symptoms often resemble the stomach flu. The most common symptoms of foodborne illness include stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever.

Who Can Get a Foodborne Illness?

Anyone can be affected by the organisms that cause foodborne illnesses. However, a few groups are especially susceptible to foodborne illness.

• Infants and children
• Pregnant women
• Elderly adults
• People with AIDS, Cancer, or who are otherwise immuno-compromised

 
What Causes Foodborne Illness?

Bacteria-related food poisoning is the most common form, but fewer than 20 of the thousands of different bacteria actually are the culprits. More than 90 percent of the cases of foodborne illnesses each year are caused by:

• Bacillus cereus
• Clostridium perfringens
• Campylobacter
• Escherichia coli (E. coil)
• Hepatitis A
• Listeria monocytogenes
• Norwalk virus
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Salmonella
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Most foodborne illnesses can be linked to three main food handling mistakes:

• time and temperature abuse
• improper handwashing and other poor personal hygiene habits
• cross-contamination of raw foods and ready-to-eat foods

Methods for the prevention of foodborne illnesses are given in the following sections of this site:

• Food Safety in the Home
• Foodservice Establishment Guidelines

page updated 4/26/06