There are several types of food poisoning bacteria which can cause illness in humans, this page describes them, the kinds of food affected, the symptoms and the actions you must take. If you need further advice, please do not hesitate to contact us. It is generally considered to be a food borne or water borne infection rather than food poisoning. If the bacteria are present in food they do not tend to multiply in it, however once swallowed the bacteria can multiply in the gut causing infection. Only a small number of bacteria need to be ingested to produce the symptoms.
Infections are usually highest in the late spring and early summer and then in the autumn.
The reason for this are not altogether understood at present. This type of food poisoning is not only associated with raw meat and poultry but also with untreated milk and infected pets. In this way it is passed on to humans, especially children who stroke their pets. Campylobacter bacterium can also be found on many farm animals, such as cows, sheep and chickens. The symptoms start between 2 and 10 days after eating the contaminated food.