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1. What should I do if I think a meal I ate made me sick?

If the severity of your illness concerns you, contact your healthcare provider. They can help you with any necessary treatment. In addition, please contact our office to report the illness. Depending on what we learn from talking to you, we may help prevent other people from becoming ill.

2. What is the best thing I can do to prevent food-borne illness at home?

Do not prepare food for others when you are sick. Wash your hands thoroughly before you begin to prepare foods or eat foods. To properly wash hands, use plenty of soap and lather for at least 20 seconds (e.g., singing the Happy Birthday song twice) before rinsing and drying.

Avoid bare hand contact on ready-to-eat (RTE) foods. Keep food at a safe temperature.

3. I have heard the last meal I ate is what caused my foodborne illness (food poisoning), is this true?

Except for some toxins and viruses, most harmful microorganisms take longer than a few hours to make you sick. Symptoms of foodborne illness can start anywhere from a few hours to several weeks after eating contaminated food. So don't be so quick to blame your illness on the restaurant you ate at today for lunch - you may have gotten sick from something you ate a few days ago. Contact your local health department if you suspect you have a foodborne illness or want to file a complaint about unsafe food handling practices at a restaurant.

4. Should I prepare food for others when I am ill?

Ill food workers frequently make others sick by preparing food. If at all possible, avoid preparing food for other people when you do not feel well.