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Food poisoning (bacterial)

Authoring team

Classification:

  • toxin type - release pre-formed toxin causing rapid onset of symptoms; usually short duration, afebrile:
    • Staphylococcus aureus
    • Bacillus cereus

  • intermediate-type - pre-formed toxin released once organism has multiplied within the gut; 12 hour incubation period:
    • Clostridium perfringens
    • Clostridium botulinum

  • infectious type - organisms multiply within and invade the gut; incubation period of several days:
    • Campylobacter - most common cause of bacterial food poisoning overall in UK
    • Salmonellosis
    • Shigella
    • E. coli
    • Vibrio parahaemolyticus } UK
    • Yersinia } rarities

Reference

  1. American Medical Association, American Nurses Association/American Nurses Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Diagnosis and management of foodborne illnesses: a primer for physicians and other health care professionals. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2004 Apr 16;53(RR-4):1-33.

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