Food poisoning can make you really ill and can be very unpleasant.
It happens when your body reacts badly to something you have eaten that is not properly cooked or is contaminated with bacteria in some way.

Around 100,000 people in the UK go to their GP with food poisoning every year, so it’s quite common.

What causes food poisoning and who can get it?

Food poisoning is caused by eating food that has bad bacteria in it. The most common are:

• Campylobacter
• Salmonella
• E.coli
• Staphylococcus

But any type of bacteria can cause food poisoning.

Food poisoning can affect just one person, or lots of people who have all eaten the same foods. In some cases the contaminated food can be traced back to a particular shop or restaurant.

Doctors have to report food poisoning to the Public Health Laboratory, which keeps records of all incidents of food poisoning in case there are several cases in one area.

What are the signs and symptoms of food poisoning?

When someone has food poisoning, they will feel very sick and vomit a lot – this is the body’s way of getting rid of the dodgy food.

Other symptoms include:

• Stomach cramps and/or tummy ache
• Diarrhoea
• A high temperature
• Feeling hot and cold as the body tries to fight and kill the bacteria

Anyone can get food poisoning. But it’s much more serious in young children and elderly people, for whom it can be a life threatening condition.

How is it normally diagnosed and treated?

Most people get over a bout of food poisoning in a few days. The body works hard to get rid of the dodgy food and deals with the bacteria.

It’s important to drink lots to keep hydrated (this means having the right amount of fluid in the body). This is particularly important for young children as they can quickly become dehydrated, which can be life threatening if it’s not treated.

If someone can’t keep any fluids down and is showing signs of dehydration, like a headache or dizziness, they may need a short stay in hospital where they will be given fluids into a vein (intravenously).

Can it be prevented?

Most cases of food poisoning can be prevented by following simple hygiene rules:

• Wash your hands after going to the toilet and before handling food
• Keep the kitchen and your cooking utensils clean
• Store and prepare raw and cooked food separately
• Make sure that meat and fish are thoroughly cooked, particularly on the barbeque
• Rinse and scrub raw fruits and vegetables before cooking and eating
• Don’t leave food out of the fridge for a long time, especially during hot weather
• Protect food from insects and animals like mice
• Throw away any foods which have gone past their sell-by or use-by dates, especially if they contain meat, fish or dairy products
• Read the freezing instructions on packaged foods carefully and do not re-freeze food that has been thawed
• Re-heat any leftovers thoroughly and do not re-heat food more than once
• When travelling abroad drink only bottled water and do not have ice cubes in your drinks

The basic rule is that if the food looks, smells or tastes odd when it comes out of its container or packet, don’t eat it.

When should I seek medical help?

Most cases of food poisoning do not require medical help. But you need to contact your GP or telephone NHS Direct if you have any of the following:

• Vomiting that lasts for more than two days
• If you cannot keep liquids down for more than a day
• Diarrhoea that lasts for more than three days
• Blood in your vomit or stools
• When you have sign of dehydration (that means your body did not get enough fluids), such as a dry mouth, sunken eyes, feeling dizzy and being unable to pass urine

Looking forward

You will usually recover from food poisoning in a few days.

If you can work out what caused the problem then change the way you do things to avoid it again in the future – or if it was caused by a restaurant then contact your local authority.

For more help and information

Speak to your doctor or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

Last reviewed by Great Ormond Street Hospital: 11 February 2010

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