Clinical Symptoms Symptoms vary with the infectious agent and range from slight abdominal pain and nausea to retching, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoeaall of varying severity. Vomiting, with or without diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and fever are common symptoms of viral disease or staphylococcal intoxication. Symptoms may be severe enough to result in hospitalisation. The gastrointestinal symptoms may be accompanied by fever, chills, malaise and muscular pains. Public Health Significance and Occurrence Occurrence is worldwide with sporadic cases and common source outbreaks reported.
Incidence varies from country to country.
In Victoria, outbreaks where food and water have been implicated have occurred in association with hospitals, school camps, nursing homes and restaurants. Detection of toxin. Paired sera from patients to detect seroconversion. Reservoir Soil, dust, cereals. Fish, birds, reptiles, wild and domestic animals for most bacteria and parasites.