Types of food poisoning

Food poisoning is caused by food and water which has become infected by bacteria, or viruses, parasites or toxins. This results in different types of food poisoning although they share the same symptoms, for example abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.

So what are the most common types of food poisoning?

Chicken food poisoning appears to be the most well known type of food poisoning but there are several others which are discussed within this section of the guide.

These include:

• Chicken food poisoning
• Beef food poisoning
• Pork food poisoning
• Fish food poisoning
• Bacterial food poisoning
• Viral food poisoning
• Parasites
• Toxins

The bacterial and viral food poisoning sections contain individual subsections which discuss these in more detail. For example, there is a subsection about E coli bacteria.

Chicken, beef, pork and fish food poisoning are all caused by different strains of bacteria. However, fish can also be infected by parasites or toxins found within seawater which build up inside. One example of this is shellfish such as mussels.

If you want to know more then visit our foods which are likely to cause food poisoning section.

Two categories of food poisoning

The causes of food poisoning can be categorised into the following two groups:

• Infectious causes
• Toxic causes

Infectious causes or ‘agents’ include bacteria, parasites and viruses and are the most common causes of food poisoning. This refers to food which has been contaminated by bacteria or other organisms that causes an infection after consumption.

These cause symptoms of food poisoning which are confined within the digestive system, e.g. abdominal pain.

Toxic causes or ‘agents’are the least likely cause of food poisoning. These highly potent toxins are found within food and once ingested, attack the body and in some cases, overwhelm the immune system.

This type of food poisoning affects the entire body, the symptoms of which include dizziness, rapid heartbeat and a skin rash.

Visit any of the subsections mentioned above to find out more about the various types of food poisoning.