| |
|
Neurological
Symptoms (Visual Disturbances, Vertigo, Tingling, Paralysis)
Occur |
back to
Diseases of Foodborne Origin index page |
|
Chemical Agents |
|
Incubation |
Duration |
Symptoms |
Etiologic Agent |
Common Vehicles |
|
1/2 - 2 hrs |
12 hrs |
Tingling, burning, numbness,
drowsiness, incoherent speech, respiratory paralysis |
Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) |
Seafood, undercooked or raw oysters, mussels,
clams |
|
Few minutes to 30 minutes |
17 hrs
(range: 1-72 hrs) |
Reversal of hot and cold;
numbness of lips, tongue and throat; muscle aches, dizziness,
diarrhea, vomiting |
Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) |
Mussels, clams, sea water |
|
Few minutes to 30 minutes |
Varies |
Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, chills, fever |
Diarrheic shellfish poisoning |
Mussels, clams, scallops |
|
24 hrs (GI)
48 hrs (neurologic) |
Varies |
Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, confusion,
memory loss, disorientation, seizure, coma |
Amnesic shellfish (domoic acid) |
Mussels, oysters |
|
|
Bacterial Agents |
|
Incubation |
Duration |
Symptoms |
Etiologic Agent |
Common Vehicles |
|
12-35 hrs
(range: 2 hrs to 6 days) |
Days to
months |
Vertigo,
double or blurred vision, loss of reflex to light, difficulty
swallowing, speaking, breathing, dry mouth, weakness,
respiratory paralysis |
Clostridium botulinum
and its neurotoxins |
Improperly
canned foods, honey (infant botulism) |
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