While food poisoning and a stomach bug can present similar symptoms, they spread differently and usually present with different severity and length of symptoms. The stomach flu (a term used interchangeably with a stomach virus, but officially known as viral gastroenteritis) is a viral infection that is transmitted from person to person. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and sometimes fever.
Food poisoning can also be caused by a virus, but comes from contaminated food and is not usually transmitted from person to person. The symptoms of food poisoning will often be more severe and begin sooner than the stomach virus, which has an incubation period of about 24-48 hours. Food poisoning usually resolves on its own in 1-2 days, while the stomach flu can last 1-3 days (although sometimes longer). It’s important you know what is causing your symptoms so you can properly treat your illness.