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A food poisoning outbreak occurs when two or more people develop a similar illness after ingesting a common food or drink. An outbreak may be confined to a specific town or region, for example, a group of people become ill after eating at the same restaurant or purchasing food from a local grocery store. Or, the outbreak may be widespread, with hundreds to thousands of people sickened across multiple states, often over a longer period of time. This can occur, for example, when food is contaminated at an industrial processing plant and is then shipped nationwide to unsuspecting consumers.
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Food poisoning symptoms and symptom onset will vary due to the type of foodborne infection. Symptoms may include abdominal pain and cramping, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, and dehydration. The elderly, young, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals may be at an increased risk for developing food poisoning complications. Protect yourself and your loved ones by directing health related questions and concerns to your doctor.
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Put your health and the health of your loved ones first. If your suspect food poisoning, direct your health related questions to your doctor or healthcare professional. He or she may order a stool culture, or other laboratory testing to determine if you have been infected by a foodborne pathogen (a disease causing germ). While a stool sample can detect many foodborne pathogens, some infections, for example listeriosis, may require testing blood, spinal fluid, or other body tissues.
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Local, state, and federal public health officials are responsible for investigating foodborne illnesses; and with this information, they can bring an ongoing outbreak to a halt and protect the public from similar outbreaks in the future.
If you believe that you or someone you know was sickened after consuming a particular food or drink, you can help public health officials by reporting this information to your county, local, or city health department. You can find your local health department’s contact information by visiting your
state public health department website.
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Food Recalls are announced on the FDA’s website at
“Recalls, Market Withdrawals, and Safety Alerts” and the USDA’s website at “
Current Recall and Alerts.”
Foods regulated by the FDA include dietary supplements, bottled water, food additives, infant formulas and other food products, while the USDA regulates aspects of some meat, poultry, and egg products. It can be confusing, so it is always best to check both websites when looking for food recall and safety information.
Obtain a Free Food Poisoning Lawsuit Case Evaluation
The Weinberg Law Firm has helped food poisoning victims nationwide receive compensation for their injuries and related damages. If you or a loved one has been injured in a food poisoning outbreak, or you suspect that you were injured in a food poisoning outbreak, or you have more food poisoning questions regarding your legal rights, please submit the easy-to-use Food Poisoning Lawsuit Case Evaluation Form found on this page, or contact us toll free at 1-877-934-6274. Let us bring our experience handling food poisoning lawsuit matters to bear on your behalf.
More Food Poisoning Questions?
As a consumer, you can help reduce your risk of contracting a foodborne illness by becoming familiar with proper food handling, preparation, and storage measures.
If you have more food poisoning questions, you can visit “Your Food Poisoning Questions Answered” at Foodpoisoning.com.
For more information regarding food poisoning, please see Salmonella Lawsuit Client Tips, E. coli Lawsuit Client Tips , and Listeria Lawsuit Client Tips.
The information contained on this page has been gathered from the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and other sources in the public domain.
