Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Food Safety,Our Blog on June 13, 2026
What many people pass off as stomach flu could be more dangerous. Norovirus, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or even Listeria.
The culmination of symptoms, paired with the naivety of people not really wanting to think about how they became sick, causes most people to chalk up their digestive illness to “stomach flu.”
What causes these illnesses, and how do you protect yourself from them?
Let’s dive in!
Norovirus infections probably the most common mislabeled illness attributed to the 24-hour stomach flu. Around 2,500 norovirus outbreaks are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) annually. Somewhere between 19 to 21 million people become sick each year. Around 2.27 million people (mostly young children) require outpatient care. About 465,000 people (mostly young children) go to the emergency room for it and 109,000 people are hospitalized. Norovirus claims 900 deaths (mostly in adults over 65 years) each year.
That is a lot of norovirus!
Norovirus is particularly dangerous because it is highly contagious. It doesn’t take much to spread this illness. As few as 10 microscopic viral particles is enough to pass on these germs.
About that. It is transmitted via fecal-oral route. Which is just about as gross as it sounds. Except, only trace amounts are necessary to share the virus.
In this case, sharing is definitely not caring. So wash your hands!
People begin feeling sick around 12 to 48 hours after exposure to norovirus. Either from contaminated food that has been touched by someone with norovirus that hasn’t effectively washed their hands. Or by eating, drinking, or touching their mouth after touching something contaminated with the germ.
Norovirus symptoms can range from mild to so severe that an individual can become seriously dehydrated or require hospitalization to recover from their illness.
Common symptoms include:
Most people recover within a few days (one to three).
But be careful!
You are most contagious and likely to transmit your illness to others while you are actively sick through the first few days of feeling better.
One of the biggest complications of norovirus is dehydration. This happens when you lose more liquid than you are able to take in. Many people with norovirus can become so dehydrated that they require medical treatment and IV fluids.
Pay attention to your symptoms and get medical attention right away if symptoms become severe.
Salmonella is another microscopic bacteria often mislabeled as stomach flu. This germ is often associated with food or contaminated water. It is found in undercooked eggs, poultry, and many produce outbreaks have involved this pathogen. Around 1.35 million cases of Salmonella illness occur in the United States each year, making it a leading cause of foodborne illness in the country. Unfortunately, only a fraction of Salmonella infections are diagnosed. It is likely because they are attributed to a stomach bug with mild enough symptoms that don’t prompt medical care. The CDC estimates that only 1 in every 30 infections are reported.
Salmonella infection symptoms may include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, often beginning somewhere between 6 hours to 6 days after exposure. Illness typically lasts around 4 to 7 days.
For most, medical intervention is not necessary. However, some people may experience complications requiring a trip to the doctor’s office. Some infections are so severe, sick patients require hospitalization.
Call a doctor if you have:
Dehydration is a serious issue with illnesses involving diarrhea and vomiting.
Salmonella infections should be taken very seriously. Serious, life-threatening complications may develop.
Campylobacter is another bacterium often confused with stomach flu. This bad bug is responsible for an estimated 1.5 million illness in the United States each year. It doesn’t take much of this germ to make you sick either. Just a single drop of raw chicken juice can make you sick. Think about that next time someone says you should wash your chicken.
Don’t.
Just don’t.
Common Campylobacter symptoms include diarrhea (often bloody), fever, and stomach cramps. Some people with Campylobacter infections may also experience nausea and vomiting. Most people begin feeling sick around two to five days after exposure and feel better within a week.
Certain people with weakened immune systems such as those with AIDS, receiving chemotherapy, or people with a blood disorder may develop a life-threatening infection if it spreads to the bloodstream.
Certain complications, such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Reactive Arthritis can occur from Campylobacter infections.
Guillain-Barré syndrome is a type of paralysis experienced by around 3,000 to 6,000 people in the United States. While there are many different ways to cause this complication, Campylobacter infection is one of them.
Guillain-Barré syndrome is the result of an autoimmune response to the body’s nerves.
It starts as a weakness and tingling sensation in the arms and upper body and can spread until muscles become paralyzed over the course of a few hours, days, or even weeks depending on the person.
Most people recover within a few weeks. However, others may take years to recover. Some may experience permanent nerve damage. Some people have even died from Guillain-Barré syndrome complications.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Irritable Bowel Disease is caused by environmental triggers, such as a bacterial infection.
This inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract often comes with symptoms such as persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding/bloody stools, weight loss, and fatigue.
Campylobacter infections can also cause a joint condition called reactive arthritis. This condition involves inflammation, pain, and swelling of the joints (knees, ankles, and feet). It can also affect the eyes and urethra.
Reactive arthritis symptoms may come and go. However, it can take up to a year or more to fully resolve in some cases.
The symptoms of E. coli infections are often confused with the colloquial stomach flu. An estimated 200,000 E. coli cases are reported in the United States each year.
Symptoms of E. coli infections often include vomiting, sever stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, and (if present) a fever less than 101 °F.
These symptoms usually begin around three to four days after exposure with normally healthy people often recovering within five to seven days. Some people, on the other hand, may experience other complications. These complications may lead to hospitalization or even death.
The elderly, young children (under five years), and those with a weakened immune system may experience more severe illnesses or develop serious complications. Complications like hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS.
HUS, is a rare, but serious health condition that can develop after becoming sick with toxin-producing bacteria like E. coli.
This complication develops when toxins rupture blood cells. These ruptured bloods cells clog the filtering aspects of the kidney. This can result in kidney failure and cause other downstream negative health effects.
People with HUS require hospitalization and monitoring to prevent further damage.
Symptoms to look out for include decreased urination, paleness in cheeks and inside of lower eyelids, and fatigue.
If you have been sick with symptoms consistent with E. coli infection and begin experiencing these HUS symptoms, get medical help right away!
Listeria monocytogenes, another bacteria often confused with stomach flu. The CDC estimates that around 1,600 people become sick with listeriosis each year. About 260 of those die from the illness. This bacteria is also dangerous because it can grow in refrigerated temperatures. This germ is commonly associated with dairy products and deli meat.
While anyone can become infected with Listeria, in many cases normally healthy people do not become seriously ill. There are certain groups, however, that are more at risk of becoming sick or experiencing more severe illness.
High-risk groups include:
Listeria bacteria cause a complicated range of symptoms. These symptoms, like most bacterial infections, can cause either mild or severe illnesses.
A uniquely dangerous complication, however, affects those who are pregnant.
Listeria infections generally cause intestinal illness. However, complications may develop if the bacteria leave the digestive system and attack other parts of the body.
One of the most common symptom profiles of Listeria illness involves intestinal illness. Intestinal illness occurs when the bacteria affect the digestive system.
Common symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea beginning within 24 hours of consuming something contaminated with Listeria bacteria. These symptoms are often resolved within three days.
Most people with intestinal Listeria illness do not require medical intervention or antibiotic treatment. Plenty of rest, fluids, and treating the symptoms is your best bet.
Intestinal Listeria illness can evolve into a more invasive illness.
Listeria bacteria cause invasive illness when they leave the digestive system and enter other parts of the body. Invasive listeriosis affects pregnant people and non-pregnant people in different ways. For both categories, invasive illness symptoms usually begin about two weeks after exposure.
While personal symptoms of invasive listeriosis are milder in pregnant people, the impact on the pregnancy poses potentially serious consequences. Someone who is pregnant and experiencing invasive listeriosis may have fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, listeriosis during pregnancy can lead to still birth, premature delivery, miscarriage, or life-threatening infection in the newborn.
Those who are not pregnant have a higher risk of serious illness or death. Invasive listeriosis in non-pregnant people often includes headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Some may also experience fever and/or muscle aches. This infection can be serious or even life-threatening. 1 in 20 nonpregnant people with invasive listeriosis will die from their illness.
Regardless of what germ is responsible for your illness, the most important part is taking care of yourself and ensuring you do not spread your infection to others.
Always wash you hands after you use the restroom or help someone in the restroom or change a diaper. Wash your hands before you eat or prepare food for yourself or others. Wash your hands after you have contact with animals or their environment.
Get the picture? Wash your hands!
If you have fallen sick from eating recalled products, from a restaurant or other prepared foods, or from food in general you may be eligible for legal compensation. Costs of medical bills, lost work, and other burdens associated with fooborne illness add up. The costs can be overwhelming.
The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has helped many families with cases just like yours help hold accountable those responsible for foodborne illness. When a company becomes negligent, people become sick.
If you have become sick with foodborne illness you should get advice. An experienced Food Poisoning Lawyer can help navigate you through the legal process.
Call (833) 330-3663 or submit your information on the online submission form for a free consultation.
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)