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Can the symptoms of foodborne illness be mistaken for the flu?

Yes. Foodborne illness is often manifested as flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, or fever; so many people may not recognize that the illness is caused by bacteria or other pathogens in food.

Experts report that many of the intestinal illnesses commonly referred to as stomach flu are actually caused by foodborne pathogens. People do not associate these illnesses with food because the onset of symptoms often occurs 2 or more days after the contaminated food has been eaten.