How fast does food poisoning set in? What are the symptoms one should know?

Foodborne illness, also referred to as food poisoning is a common health ailment caused due to ingestion of contaminated or spoiled food or drinks. It is mainly caused by infectious organisms like bacteria, viruses or toxins that contaminate food when it is being cooked or processed. These toxins or pathogens enter the digestive system and lead to inflammation of gut and stomach lining. It can also impact you when you consume produce after its 'best before' or expiry date.

Despite awareness, food poisoning and related infections still remain to be a common cause of concern. According to statistics, food poisoning was the second most common cause of infectious disease outbreak in India in 2017. The numbers of outbreaks have increased from 50 in 2008 to 242 in 2017. Hence, it is important to know the causes and symptoms of the illness to cut down on the rising cases.

Here is an explainer on the same:

Food poisoning causing pathogens can be found in almost all the food that we consume. However, when the food is cooked most of the disease-causing bacteria and viruses are killed by the heat.

Eating raw or uncooked food most commonly leads to food poisoning. Besides, the pathogens can also contaminate the food if it is not reheated or stored correctly. Therefore, reheating and storing food in a proper manner is important, unless you want to invite pathogens home. Sometimes, preparing food without washing your hands properly can also put you at the risk of catching infection.

Food poisoning is caused due to different kinds of bacteria, virus, parasites and toxins present in the food.

Entamoeba is the most common cause of food illness in India, followed by campylobacter bacteria, salmonella bacteria, E Coli bacteria, and norovirus.

Entamoeba is a single-celled protozoa that enters the human body when a person ingests cysts through food or water. It can also enter through direct contact with faecal matter. Campylobacter is found in the gut of animals and birds. Humans often catch it through contaminated shellfish, mushrooms or an infected pet.

Salmonella, another toxic germ is found in foods such as chicken, eggs, cucumbers, melon, pistachios and sprouts, while E. coli infections normally happen due to consumption of unpasteurised milk, or raw vegetables. Sometimes, E. Coli can also enter your system through water contaminated with human and animal stool. It is highly contagious and can spread from person to person.

The symptoms of food poisoning differ depending on the type of bacteria and virus one is infected with. General symptoms consist of:

Nausea

Diarrhoea

Abdominal cramps

Vomiting

Stomach cramps

Loss of appetite

Weakness

Mild fever

Typically, the symptoms of food poisoning start appearing within a few days after eating infected food.

How quickly you will experience the symptoms after ingesting the contaminated food or water also depends on the type of pathogens and toxins you are infected with.

It may take one to four weeks for Entamoeba to show symptoms after entering the human body. Salmonella takes 12 and 36 hours, whereas campylobacter starts showing symptoms about two to seven days after entering the human body. E. coli symptoms can start three or four days after exposure.

To know which kind of pathogens you are infected with you will have to undergo a stool test.

Food poisoning can be resolved in 48 hours, but sometimes it may last longer depending on the kind of infection. Over-the-counter medication and plain foods without spices and oil like bread, apple, rice and toast can help recover from food poisoning faster.