The symptoms of food poisoning are profuse vomiting, diarrhoea and crampy abdominal pain within eight to 24 hours after consumption of the contaminated foods. Fever may or may not be present.
Diarrhoea can range from a very mild, self-limiting disease of one to a few loose stools and only minimal symptoms. At the other end of the spectrum, 'dysentery'-like syndrome can be seen with soft, watery stools that may contain blood, mucus and pus.
Medical advice should be sought under the following circumstances:
If diarrhoea persists for more than one week despite adequate self-medication with hydration and anti-diarrhoeal agents.
If you have just returned from an area endemic with cholera (especially if your diarrhoea is profuse and watery).
If you fail to keep your body hydrated with oral rehydration solutions due to severe vomiting. This means your doctor may need to give you intravenous fluids for a few days. The very young and old persons are particularly at risk.
If your stool shows blood and pus.
If you have high running fever.
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