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Meet the Bugs
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Micro-organisms or bugs that cause illness are called pathogens. This pamphlet looks at some of the common pathogens that cause foodborne illness in New Zealand and gives advice on how you can avoid them.
How to keep yourself and your food safe
A wide variety of micro-organisms – bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses and other organisms – can cause illness in people. Many of these can contaminate food. Knowing what to watch out for and how to ensure you don’t contaminate food that you, your family or others are going to eat is an important part of knowing how to avoid foodborne illness. It can take from as little as 20 minutes to several weeks to become sick from food that’s been contaminated by pathogens (and your illness may not be caused by the last thing you ate). Foodborne illness can be mild but sometimes (especially if you have low immunity) it can be life-threatening or cause death. If you think you have an illness caused by food, contact your doctor right away.
More information about pathogens that cause foodborne illnesses
Name |
Possible symptoms (from most to least common) |
Foods and causes linked to outbreaks |
How soon it typically strikes |
Bacillus cereus (bacteria) |
Two different forms of foodborne illness: Vomiting, nausea, occasional diarrhoea Diarrhoea, abdominal pain, occasional nausea |
Rice, starchy foods such as potato and pasta, meat, casseroles, vegetable dishes, foods containing spices |
1 to 6 hours (vomiting) 10 to 12 hours (diarrhoea) |
Campylobacter (bacteria) |
Muscle pain, headache, fever, followed by diarrhoea (can be bloody), abdominal pain, nausea |
Undercooked chicken, unpasteurised milk, chicken liver pâté, drinking water |
2 to 5 days but can range from 1 to 10 days |
Ciguatera (toxin) |
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pain followed by neurological symptoms including headache, temperature reversal (hot things feel cold and cold things feel hot), dizziness, tingling, muscular weakness, irregular heartbeat |
Grouper, barracuda, snapper, jack, mackerel, triggerfish (caught in tropical regions) |
Within 6 hours |
Clostridium botulinum (bacteria) |
Nausea and vomiting followed by neurological symptoms including weakness, dizziness, double vision, difficulty speaking, swallowing and breathing, abdominal distension |
Canned or bottled foods, especially vegetables and seafood products, garlic in oil |
12 to 36 hours |
Clostridium perfringens (bacteria) |
Severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhoea, occasional vomiting and nausea |
Meat dishes, especially rolled roasts, stuffed meat, soups, stews, gravies, pies |
10 to 12 hours, but can range from 6 to 24 hours |
Cryptosporidium parvum (parasite) |
Watery diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps, weight loss |
Drinking water, raw fruits and vegetables, apple juice, unpasteurised milk, salads |
3 to 11 days |
Cyclospora (parasite) |
Watery diarrhoea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramps, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches, low grade fever, extreme fatigue |
Raspberries, lettuce, basil and pesto |
1 week |
E.coli (0157:H7) (bacteria) |
Severe abdominal pain, watery (then bloody) diarrhoea, occasional vomiting |
Undercooked minced meat, unpasteurised milk, lettuce, sprouts, unpasteurised fruit juices |
1 to 8 days |
E. coli (STEC) (bacteria) |
Range from mild diarrhoea through severe cramps to profuse diarrhoea containing a lot of blood |
Undercooked minced meat, cooked meat, apples, radishes, unpastuerised juices and dairy products, direct contact with animals and animal fertiliser, contaminated water |
1 to 2 days |
Giardia intestinalis (parasite) |
Diarrhoea, flatulence, stomach cramps |
Raw vegetables, drinking water, salads, fruit salad, sandwiches |
1 to 3 weeks |
Hepatitis A (virus) |
Fever, malaise, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, jaundice |
Shellfish, salads, cold meats, sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, fruit juices, milk, milk products, infected food handlers |
10 to 50 days |
Listeria (bacteria) |
Non-invasive: Diarrhoea, fever, muscle pain, headache, occasional abdominal cramps and vomiting Invasive: Fever, headache, diarrhoea, vomiting, septicaemia, encephalitis,meningitis, spontaneous abortion or stillbirth |
Long shelf-life products stored under refrigeration such as deli meat and poultry products, smoked seafoods, cheeses (particularly soft ripened cheeses), pre-cooked sausage products. Also unpasteurised milk, corn salad, coleslaw |
Non-invasive: 11 hours to 7 days Invasive: 1 day to 3 weeks |
Norovirus (virus) |
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, headache, low-grade fever |
Shellfish, salads, sandwiches, cold meats, infected food handlers |
24 hours but can range from 10 to 50 hours |
Salmonella(bacteria) |
Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever, headache |
Raw meats, poultry, unpasteurised milk and dairy products, seafoods, fresh produce (including sprouts), foods handled by infected foodhandlers, eg kebabs, sandwiches |
6 hours to 2 days |
Scombrotoxin (toxin) |
Tingling or burning sensation in the mouth, upper body rash, reduced blood pressure, headache, itching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea |
Fresh tuna, kahawai, mahi mahi, bluefish, sardines, mackerel, amberjack, abalone |
A few minutes to a few hours |
Staphylococcus aureus (bacteria) |
Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, occasional diarrhoea |
Ham, cooked meats, yoghurt, chicken salad, pasta dishes, bakery products (especially cream-filled), cheese |
2 to 4 hours but can range from 30 minutes to 7 hours |
Vibrio parahaemolyticus (bacteria) |
Diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever, chills |
Raw oysters and clams, crabs, shrimp |
4 hours to 4 days |
Vibrio vulnificus (bacteria) |
Diarrhoea (in healthy people), bloodstream infection (in people with liver disease, diabetes, or weak immune systems) |
Raw oysters and clams, crabs |
Within 16 hours (diarrhoea) |
Yersinia enterocolitica (bacteria) |
Adults: Abdominal pain, headache, fever, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting Children: Watery, mucoid diarrhoea |
Pork and pork products, dairy products, fruit, vegetables, tofu |
7 days but can range from 1 to 11 days |
Four simple rules to help keep you safe
CLEAN
• clean your hands by washing them with soap and drying with a clean towel
• always wash your hands before handling food and after handling raw meat and poultry, going to the toilet, changing nappies, handling pets and gardening
• wash knives and utensils and scrub chopping boards between preparing raw and cooked food
• keep your fridge clean.
COOK
• defrost frozen foods thoroughly before cooking
• never leave hot food to cool for more than two hours before putting it in the fridge
• cook minced meat and sausages thoroughly (meat should not be pink), and cook poultry until juices run clear
• pre-cook minced meat, sausages and poultry before barbecuing.
COVER
• keep all foods covered in the fridge, in the cupboard and outdoors
• keep raw meat and poultry covered and away from ready-to-eat food, fruit and vegetables
• when cooking outdoors, ensure that all food remains covered until ready to cook or eat.
CHILL
• ensure your fridge is operating at a temperature of between 0 and 4oC
• keep raw meats and poultry in the bottom of the fridge to ensure their juices don’t drip on to other food
• keep all perishable foods in the fridge until you are ready to use them
• when picnicking, keep food cool by using a frozen chilly pad
• marinate food in the fridge, not on the bench.
For more information on
food safety issues:
www.nzfsa.govt.nz
www.foodsafe.org.nz
Food safety concerns:
0800 NZFSA1 (0800 693 721)
Email: info@nzfsa.govt.nz
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
68-86 Jervois Quay
PO Box 2835
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 2500
Fax: +64 4 894 2501
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