Cookstown District Council
Environmental Health
Food Poisoning
Suspected Food Poisoning
Food borne illness is caused by consuming contaminated or poisonous food, milk or water. It can also be caused by parasites, bacteria, viruses, chemicals, plants, toxins and moulds.
The symptons, duration and severity of food borne illnesses vary according to the nature of the infectious agent, and also the age and susceptibility of a person. Symptons can include nausea, headache, abdominal pains, diarrhoea, fever and body rashes. Symptons can last from between several hours to a number of weeks, but are usually self limiting.
Cases often blame their illness on the last meal eaten before the symptons started. However, the time between eating the contaminated food and developing symptons can be in excess of 20 days, but is usually between 12 and 36 hours. It is therefore incorrect to assume that the last meat eaten was responsible for the illness. For this reason, you will be asked to provide as much information as possible about the foods eaten in the days prior to the onset of symptons.
What Should I Do If I Suspect I Have Food Poisoning?
If you are suffering from any of the symptons mentioned above, and if you suspect you have contracted food poisoning, you should visit your GP. Your GP should arrange for a faecal sample to be taken for examination in a laboratory to detect the presence of any food poisoning germs and parasites.
Whilst awaiting the results of the laboratory, test patients and their family should:-
- Wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet or after handling nappies or soiled laundry, and especially before handling food.
- Keep the kitchen and toilet areas clean and disinfected.
- If working as food handlers, inform their employers of their illness, and stay away from work until at least 48 hours after the diarrhoea ceases.
- Ensure that young children are kept off school, nursery or playgroup until at least 48 hours after the symptons cease, and supervise them when they use the toilet.
Some conditions such viral infections are only rarely detected because the diagnostic tests available are not yet sufficiently refined. If your specimen is negative, you should still observe the precautions outlined.