Food Poisoning: Causes, Types, and Risk for
Food poisoning (Foodborne Illness) is an illness caused by contaminated food.
Organisms like Bacteria, Viruses, and Parasites are the most common causes of food poisoning
- Types
At least 250 different kinds of food poisoning have been documented but the most common ones are:- Coli
- Listeria
- Salmonella
- Norovirus
- Symptoms of Food Poisoning
Feeling generally unwell – such as feeling tired or having Aching, Chills & Fever.
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- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Stomach Cramps
- Weakness
- Headache
- Higher Risk for Food Poisoning
- Young Children: Their immune systems aren’t fully developed yet.
- People with long-term (Chronic) Disease: People with diseases such as diabetes or cancer have weaker immune systems.
- Pregnant Women: A woman’s immune system changes during pregnancy. The unborn baby is also at risk
- Older Adults: Their immune systems don’t work as well. Age-related changes in our sense of taste and smell also make it easier to eat contaminated food by mistake.
