“11,500 Australians contract food poisoning every day” Food Standards Australian & New Zealand

Campylobacter spp

Certain Campylobacter bacteria cause food poisoning with symptoms of diarrhoea, which can contain blood.  Other symptoms often present are fever, abdominal pain, nausea, headache and muscle pain. The illness usually occurs 2-5 days after ingestion of the contaminated food or water.

Listeria spp

Consumption of as few as one Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can cause pregnant women to miscarry and influenza like illness in others.  Those at the highest risk of contracting the disease include pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.  Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and sometimes nausea and diarrhoea.

Salmonella spp

Consumption of 15 to 20 Salmonella bacteria can cause food poisoning with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever, and headache in 6-48 hours after consumption.

Escherichia coli

Consumption of as few as 10 pathogenic Escherichia coli bacteria can cause severe food poisoning in children with symptoms of bloody diarrhoea leading to haemolytic uremic syndrome, kidney failure and death.

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