Food poisoning

Food poisoning means illness caused by food or drinking water. The illness is most often caused by microbes (bacteria or viruses) or toxins produced by microbes, but parasites or toxic substances can also cause illness. An epidemic is when several illnesses occur at a certain time and in a certain area, with a common source of exposure to food or water.

Symptoms of food poisoning include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever. Symptoms of food poisoning usually begin within the first day of eating the food. Depending on the poisoning, however, symptoms may not appear until days or even weeks after infection. Food poisoning is usually caused by insufficient heating of food, too slow cooling, storage at too high a temperature, or neglect of cleanliness.

You can report a suspected illness using the Ilppa service.