Infection vs Intoxication
Definition
Infection requires a live organism that multiplies in the host gut to cause disease, with an incubation period of 12 hours to several days. Intoxication is caused by a preformed toxin in the food and presents within 1 to 6 hours of eating, often with severe vomiting and rapid onset.
- Field
- Forensic toxicology, food poisoning
- Infection
- Live organism multiplies in host gut
- Infection onset
- 12 hours to several days
- Intoxication
- Preformed toxin already in the food
- Intoxication onset
- 1 to 6 hours, often severe vomiting
Common questions
Why does onset time matter for identifying which food a victim ate that caused illness?+
A short 1 to 6 hour onset points investigators to a meal eaten shortly before symptoms and to a preformed toxin such as Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin, while a multi-day incubation period forces a much wider search across meals eaten over the preceding days.
Can heating food before eating prevent both infection and intoxication equally?+
No, cooking kills the live organisms responsible for infection but does not destroy many preformed toxins responsible for intoxication, which are heat-stable, so reheating contaminated food can still cause illness even after the bacteria themselves are dead.
Related terms
- Adulterant
- A substance added to a food to increase bulk, weight or visual appeal at the cost of safety or nutrition. Examples include...
- Aflatoxin B1
- A hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus on poorly stored groundnut, maize and dry chilli. FSSAI sets...
- Botulinum Neurotoxin (BoNT)
- The most potent toxin known by weight. Produced by Clostridium botulinum in anaerobic low-acid food (improperly canned, smoked or fermented). Blocks acetylcholine...
- FSSAI Notified Laboratory
- A food testing laboratory recognised under Section 43 of the FSS Act 2006 to analyse statutory food samples. The network includes 22...
- Staphylococcal Enterotoxin (SE)
- A family of heat-stable superantigen toxins (SEA to SEE most common) produced by Staphylococcus aureus in protein-rich food held at warm temperature....