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Bacteria

Food poisoning is an illness caused by eating contaminated food, in most cases where food is contaminated by bacteria. There are a number of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. The most common are:

  • Campylobacter
  • Cryptosporidiosis
  • E.Coli O157
  • Salmonella

Symptoms

It takes time for infections to develop inside the gut (typically 12-36 hours) and the duration of illness can be anywhere between 24 hours and seven days. The most common symptoms include vomiting/nausea, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

If you feel you are suffering with the symptoms of food poisoning you should visit your local GP. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may ask you to submit a stool sample to confirm a diagnosis. If it is confirmed as food poisoning and if they suspect an outbreak or a link to a food business, the doctor will notify us and Public Health England.

The Food & Safety team will investigate claims of food poisoning. If you wish to report a suspected incident of food poisoning relating to a business in the district, please complete our Alleged Food Poisoning Questionnaire and return it to the below email address.

Contact

Contact: The Environmental Health team

Last updated on 10/09/2019