Food poisoning outbreaks occur every year in the United States. These outbreaks can be caused by bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria Monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum, Campylobacter, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, Brucella, Vibrio, and Bacillus cereus; and viruses such as norovirus and hepatitis A. At least 48,000,000 Americans are sickened with food poisoning every year. Do you know the common symptoms of all of the food poisoning pathogens?
We’ve collected articles about all of these symptoms, which includes the foods most likely to be contaminated, in one place for easy reference. If someone in your family is sick with these symptoms, you’ll be able to get help more quickly if you understand the pathogens.
It’s worth noting that it’s wise for all consumers to keep up to date on food recalls and food poisoning outbreaks.
Most food poisoning symptoms are gastrointestinal; that is, they affect the GI tract. But some pathogens, such as botulism toxin and hepatitis A, cause other striking symptoms.
And it’s important to note that anyone in a high risk group is more at risk for serious complications from these illnesses than the average person. Those groups include the very young, the elderly, people with compromised immune systems, pregnant women, and anyone who has a chronic illness such as diabetes.
Foodborne pathogens and the symptoms they cause
These articles discuss the symptoms of different foodborne pathogens. Not everyone sickened with these pathogens may display all of the symptoms. This list will be updated with more pathogens over time.
- Botulism
- Cyclospora
- Staphylococcus
- Cryptosporidium
- Clostridium perfringens
- Shigella
- Norovirus
- Hepatitis A
- Campylobacter
- Ciguatera
- Listeria monocytogenes
- E. coli
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)
- Salmonella
Now that you know the common symptoms of these pathogens, you can better protect yourself and your family. You may be able to give a doctor a head start on which tests to order or what to look for in an exam.
