What is the Difference Between Food Poisoning and Stomach Bug?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between food poisoning and a stomach bug (or gastroenteritis) is the cause and the time it takes for symptoms to develop. Here are the key distinctions:
- Cause: Food poisoning is typically caused by consuming contaminated, spoiled, or toxic food, which can lead to infection by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Stomach bugs, on the other hand, are usually caused by viruses, most commonly norovirus, rotavirus, and adenovirus.
- Incubation Period: The symptoms of a stomach bug typically take 12 to 48 hours to develop after exposure to the virus. In contrast, food poisoning symptoms usually develop much faster, often within 2 to 6 hours after consuming contaminated food.
- Duration: Stomach bugs usually last for 1 to 3 days, while food poisoning rarely lasts more than a day or even a few hours.
Both food poisoning and stomach bugs share similar symptoms, such as diarrhea, fever, vomiting, nausea, stomach or intestinal cramps, and fatigue. However, food poisoning may include additional symptoms like headache, sweating, and eye sensitivity. The severity of symptoms can also vary, with food poisoning symptoms often being more severe and developing more quickly than stomach bug symptoms.
Comparative Table: Food Poisoning vs Stomach Bug
The following table highlights the differences between food poisoning and a stomach bug (viral gastroenteritis):
Food Poisoning | Stomach Bug (Viral Gastroenteritis) |
---|---|
Caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites in contaminated food | Caused by viruses, most commonly norovirus |
Incubation period: 2-6 hours after eating contaminated food | Incubation period: 24-48 hours after exposure to the virus |
Symptoms: Diarrhea, fever, vomiting, fatigue, general malaise, muscle aches, and headache | Symptoms: Diarrhea or constipation, fever, vomiting, nausea, stomach or intestinal cramps, joint stiffness, weight loss |
Symptoms last: Varies depending on the cause, but typically shorter in duration than a stomach bug | Symptoms last: Varies depending on the cause, but may be more persistent than food poisoning |
Prevention: Proper food handling and storage, cooking food to the appropriate temperature, washing hands before handling food, and avoiding contaminated food | Prevention: Washing hands frequently, avoiding contact with contaminated surfaces, and staying away from people with the stomach bug |
Despite the similarities in their symptoms, food poisoning and the stomach bug can be distinguished by their causes, incubation periods, and durations of symptoms. Food poisoning typically results from consuming contaminated food and has a shorter incubation period than the stomach bug, which is caused by viral infections.
- Stomach Flu vs Food Poisoning
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- Norovirus vs Gastroenteritis
- Gut vs Stomach
- Salmonella vs Shigella
- E Coli vs Salmonella
- Viral vs Bacterial Gastroenteritis
- Gastritis vs Stomach Cancer
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- Poison vs Toxin
- Diarrhea vs Dysentery
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