Foodborne Pathogens Pathogen | Sources | Incubation | Symptoms | Anisakis spp. | Saltwater fish | Several days | Sore throat, diarrhea, abdominal pain | Bacillus cereus | Soil, dust, grains, cereal, pudding, sauces | 1-5 hours | Nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting | Campylobacter jejuni | Raw or undercooked chicken, unpasteurized milk | 1-7 days | Acute infectious diarrhea, urinary tract infection, fever, nausea, headache, arthritis | Clostridium botulinum | Soil, contaminated water, fruits, honey, sewage, dust | 12-36 hours | High fever, dizziness, difficulty breathing, dry mouth, paralysis, loss of reflex | Clostridium perfringens | Soil, vegetables grown in soil, dust, stews, human feces | 8-12 hours | Sharp abdominal cramps, diarrhea, dehydration | Diphyllobothrium latum | Freshwater fish | 3-6 weeks | Hard to detect, sometimes anemia | Escherichia coli | Ground beef, contaminated feces, lettuce, fruit juice, | 11 hours | Abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, chills, blood in feces, nausea, dehydration, death | Listeria monocytogenes | Widespread in nature, coleslaw, cheese, meat products | 4-21 days | Mild, flulike headache; vomiting, meningitis, fever, headache, death | Norwalk virus | Fish, shellfish from contaminated water; infected people | 24-48 hours | Fever, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting | Salmonella | Meat, dairy products, seafood, raw salads, chocolate | 12-48 hours | Abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, chills, vomiting, dehydration, kidney failure, death | Shigella spp. | Infected feces, direct contact with people, moist foods | 4 days or less | Abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, chills, headache, blood in feces, dehydration | Staphylococcus aureus | Direct contact with people, poultry, high-protein foods | 2-4 hours | Vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, dehydration, sweating, weakness | Trichinella spiralis | Infected pigs, flesh of bear and walrus | 9 days | Invades muscles and makes them sore and swollen, weakness | Vibrio parahaemolyticus | Seawater, raw seafood, salty foods, cucumber | 10-20 hours | Abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, chills, mild fever, headache, death | Infectious hepatitis | Blood, contaminated feces, water, frozen strawberries | 30 days | Fever, nausea, abdominal pain, jaundice, tired feeling, liver infection | Yersinia enterocolitica | Contaminated raw pork, beef; drinking water, ice cream | 3-7 days | Digestive upset, serious abdominal problems, fever, arthritis, skin/eye infections | |