food poisoning

an illness of the digestive system caused by eating food contaminated by certain BACTERIA , VIRUSES or by chemical poisons (insecticides) and metallic elements such as mercury or lead. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal pain, and these may arise very quickly and usually within 24 hours. Bacteria are the usual cause of food poisoning and proliferate rapidly, producing TOXINS that cause the symptoms of the illness. Those involved include members of the genera Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Campylobacter and also Clostridium botulinum, the causal organism of BOTULISM . Food poisoning may be fatal, the old and young being especially at risk.