Foodborne Illness symptoms, cases, outbreaks by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Foodborne illness often shows itself as flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever, so many people may not recognize that the illness is caused by bacteria or other pathogens in food. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that many of the intestinal illnesses commonly referred to as stomach flu are actually caused by foodborne pathogens. People do not associate these illnesses with food because the onset of symptoms often occurs two or more days after the contaminated food was eaten.

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foodborne illness cases

Prevention of foodborne illness starts with your trip to the supermarket.
Pick up your packaged and canned foods first.
Don't buy food in cans that are bulging or dented or in jars that are cracked or have loose or bulging lids.
Don't eat raw shellfish and use only pasteurized milk and cheese and pasteurized or otherwise treated ciders and juices if you have a health problem, especially one that may have impaired your immune system.
Choose eggs that are refrigerated in the store. Before putting them in your cart, open the carton and make sure that the eggs are clean and none are cracked.