What is food poisoning?
Food poisoning is an unpleasant illness caused by the consumption of food or drink, including water, which has been contaminated by bacteria, viruses or chemicals including naturally occurring toxins in plants such as green potatoes.
The main cause of food poisoning is bacteria.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of food poisoning can include:
- stomach cramps or pain
- diarrhoea
- vomiting
- fever
- raised temperature
- nausea.
After eating contaminated food or drink, the onset of symptoms may vary from a few hours to several days dependent on which type of bacteria is involved.
It is important to realise that the cause of your symptoms may not always be the last meal you ate. Food poisoning can also be associated with leisure activities such as swimming and farm visits.
What to do if you think you have food poisoning
If you think you have food poisoning, you should see your GP who may arrange to submit a stool specimen. This is so a laboratory check can be made to isolate and identify the cause of your illness.
Many places of work or schools will usually require infected persons to be free of their symptoms for two days before returning to work. This is essential to reduce the risk of passing any illness to others.
If you suspect that food from a particular commercial source such as a restaurant or takeaway has caused your illness, then you should contact us as soon as possible.