Food poisoning symptoms typically start to show anywhere from a few hours up to a few days after consuming contaminated food.
- The most common onset time is about 6 hours, though symptoms can appear as quickly as 30 minutes or may take several days depending on the specific bacteria or virus responsible.
- For example, Staphylococcus aureus can cause symptoms within 30 minutes to 8 hours, Clostridium perfringens symptoms appear 6 to 24 hours after eating, and Salmonella symptoms can take 6 hours to 6 days.
- Symptoms often include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, headache, and sometimes fever or chills.
- The variability depends on the type of foodborne germ involved and individual reaction to it.
Thus, while many people experience symptoms within about 6 hours, it can range from under an hour to several days after eating the contaminated food.
