Food poisoning, or more severely Gastroenteritis, can cause milt to severe symptoms, which occasionally in vulnerable groups, such as babies, infants and elderly, can be potentially severe and even fatal. Caused by bacteria or viruses from poorly prepared, contaminated, rotten or badly cleaned food.

Signs and Symptoms

• Vomiting: starts with usual stomach contents of undigested food but if vomiting persists may become green and less viscous, with mucous and clear slime
• Skin looks pale, particularly before vomiting or diarrhoea
• Abdominal pain and cramps
• Diarrhoea with faeces which are runny, watery and loose: these above two symptoms are actually far more common in bouts of food poisoning than vomiting
• May be headache
• May be joint and muscle pain
• May be an associated fever
• In severe cases, may be collapse caused by dehydration

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Traveler’s Diarrhea is type of diarrhea that results from eating or drinking water contaminated with feces while traveling in other countries. Up to half of all Americans who visit the tropics pick up traveler’s diarrhea (or “Montezuma’s revenge”) or, in Spanish-speaking countries, “turista.”

Areas of high risk include the developing countries of Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.Traveler’s diarrhea is more common in younger people. The risk of infection varies depending on where the child eats, from a low risk (in private homes) to high risk (food from street vendors).

Cause

Most traveler’s diarrhea is caused by a special strain of the common intestinal bacteria ESCHERICHIA COLI.Other bacteria responsible for SALMONELLA POISONING and SHIGELLOSIS can also cause diarrhea, as can the parasitic conditions of GIARDIASIS and amebiasis.

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