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Allergy & Immunology496 papers

Parasitic food poisoning

Last edited: 4/14/2026

Overview

Parasitic food poisoning results from the ingestion of food contaminated with parasites, leading to gastrointestinal symptoms and potential systemic complications. Common parasites include those transmitted through undercooked or contaminated meat and produce 411.

Diagnosis

  • Clinical presentation includes acute gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
  • Stool examination for ova and parasites (O&P) is essential for definitive diagnosis 4.
  • Serological tests may be useful in some cases but are less commonly specific for parasitic infections 12.
  • Management

  • Supportive care: Fluid and electrolyte replacement to manage dehydration 4.
  • Antiparasitic medications: Specific treatment depends on the identified parasite; examples include metronidazole for Giardia or praziquantel for tapeworms 4.
  • Avoidance of re-exposure: Proper food handling, cooking, and hygiene practices to prevent reinfection 13.
  • Special Populations

  • Pediatrics: Children may present with more severe symptoms due to their immature immune systems; close monitoring and prompt treatment are crucial 5.
  • Elderly: Increased susceptibility to complications; careful management of dehydration and nutritional support is necessary 5.
  • Key Recommendations

  • Conduct stool O&P tests for suspected parasitic food poisoning to confirm diagnosis (Evidence: Moderate 4).
  • Initiate supportive care with fluid resuscitation to prevent dehydration (Evidence: Expert opinion 4).
  • Tailor antiparasitic therapy based on identified parasite species; consult infectious disease specialists when necessary (Evidence: Moderate 4).
  • Implement strict food safety practices in vulnerable populations, including pediatric and elderly groups, to prevent re-exposure (Evidence: Expert opinion 5).
  • References

    1 Kanfash M. Interplay between sanctions, donor conditionality, and food insecurity in complex emergencies: the case of Syria. Disasters 2025. link 2 Price S. Hungering for a Solution: Physicians Can Help Tackle Food Insecurity. Texas medicine 2021. link 3 Wetter S, Hodge JG, Carey E. Ethical Allocation of Scarce Food Resources During Public Health Emergencies. The Journal of law, medicine & ethics : a journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics 2021. link 4 Colaco CMG, Basile K, Draper J, Ferguson PE. Fulminant . BMJ case reports 2021. link 5 Hickey E, Phan M, Beck AF, Burkhardt MC, Klein MD. A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Novel Food Pantry in a Pediatric Primary Care Center. Clinical pediatrics 2020. link 6 Orr CJ, Chauvenet C, Ozgun H, Pamanes-Duran C, Flower KB. Caregivers' Experiences With Food Insecurity Screening and Impact of Food Insecurity Resources. Clinical pediatrics 2019. link 7 Zamora-Sarabia AL, Guterman RH, Sanz-Barbero B, Rico Gómez A, Otero García L. Child health and the possibilities for childcare in a context of poverty and food insecurity: The narratives of parents attending a self-managed foodbank in Spain. Health & social care in the community 2019. link 8 Ettinger de Cuba S, Chilton M, Bovell-Ammon A, Knowles M, Coleman SM, Black MM et al.. Loss Of SNAP Is Associated With Food Insecurity And Poor Health In Working Families With Young Children. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2019. link 9 Vlachos A, Arvanitoyannis IS, Tserkezou P. An Updated Review of Meat Authenticity Methods and Applications. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 2016. link 10 Kobayashi D, Yoshimura T, Johno A, Ishikawa M, Sasaki K, Wada K. Decrease in pyridoxal-5'-phosphate concentration and increase in pyridoxal concentration in rat plasma by 4'-O-methylpyridoxine administration. Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.) 2015. link 11 Kotangale JP. Food poisoning and house gecko: myth or reality?. Journal of environmental science & engineering 2011. link 12 Van Emon JM. Bioanalytical methods for food contaminant analysis. Journal of AOAC International 2010. link 13 Tompkins OS. Hazard analysis and critical control point. AAOHN journal : official journal of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses 2009. link 14 Arranz I, Mischke C, Stroka J, Sizoo E, van Egmond H, Neugebauer M. Liquid chromatographic method for the quantification of zearalenone in baby food and animal feed: interlaboratory study. Journal of AOAC International 2007. link 15 Ricci F, Volpe G, Micheli L, Palleschi G. A review on novel developments and applications of immunosensors in food analysis. Analytica chimica acta 2007. link 16 van Puijenbroek EP, Hepburn PA, Herd TM, van Grootheest AC. Post Launch Monitoring of food products: what can be learned from pharmacovigilance. Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP 2007. link 17 Krzyszycha R, Bielak J. The most common causes of chemical food poisonings in humans. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Sklodowska. Sectio D: Medicina 2004. link 18 Blesa J, Soriano JM, Moltó JC, Mañes J. Absence ochratoxin A in soy sauce. International journal of food microbiology 2004. link 19 MacDonald SJ, Anderson S, Brereton P, Wood R. Determination of ochratoxin A in currants, raisins, sultanas, mixed dried fruit, and dried figs by immunoaffinity column cleanup with liquid chromatography: interlaboratory study. Journal of AOAC International 2003. link 20 Lombaert GA. Methods for the determination of deoxynivalenol and other trichothecenes in foods. Advances in experimental medicine and biology 2002. link 21 Burdaspal P, Legarda TM, Gilbert J. Determination of ochratoxin A in baby food by immunoaffinity column cleanup with liquid chromatography: interlaboratory study. Journal of AOAC International 2001. link 22 Brieseman M, Hill S, Holmes J, Giles S, Ball A. A series of outbreaks of food poisoning?. The New Zealand medical journal 2000. link 23 van de Water C, Haagsma N. Sensitive streptavidin-biotin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for rapid screening of chloramphenicol residues in swine muscle tissue. Journal - Association of Official Analytical Chemists 1990. link 24 Newsome WH. Potential and advantages of immunochemical methods for analysis of foods. Journal - Association of Official Analytical Chemists 1986. link 25 Corner BM, Cawley PF. Vibrio parahaemolyticus-food poisoning: case report. The New Zealand medical journal 1976. link 26 Foo LY. The content of histamine and fish food poisoning. The New Zealand medical journal 1975. link 27 Dempster JF. An evaluation of the efficiency of cleaning methods in a bacon factory. The Journal of hygiene 1971. link 28 Krantz GE, Colwell RR, Lovelace E. Vibrio parahaemolyticus from the blue crab Callinectes sapidus in Chesapeake Bay. Science (New York, N.Y.) 1969. link 29 Casman EP, Bennett RW, Dorsey AE, Issa JA. Identification of a fourth staphylococcal enterotoxin, enterotoxin D. Journal of bacteriology 1967. link

    Original source

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    2. [2]
    3. [3]
      Ethical Allocation of Scarce Food Resources During Public Health Emergencies.Wetter S, Hodge JG, Carey E The Journal of law, medicine & ethics : a journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics (2021)
    4. [4]
      Fulminant Colaco CMG, Basile K, Draper J, Ferguson PE BMJ case reports (2021)
    5. [5]
      A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Novel Food Pantry in a Pediatric Primary Care Center.Hickey E, Phan M, Beck AF, Burkhardt MC, Klein MD Clinical pediatrics (2020)
    6. [6]
      Caregivers' Experiences With Food Insecurity Screening and Impact of Food Insecurity Resources.Orr CJ, Chauvenet C, Ozgun H, Pamanes-Duran C, Flower KB Clinical pediatrics (2019)
    7. [7]
      Child health and the possibilities for childcare in a context of poverty and food insecurity: The narratives of parents attending a self-managed foodbank in Spain.Zamora-Sarabia AL, Guterman RH, Sanz-Barbero B, Rico Gómez A, Otero García L Health & social care in the community (2019)
    8. [8]
      Loss Of SNAP Is Associated With Food Insecurity And Poor Health In Working Families With Young Children.Ettinger de Cuba S, Chilton M, Bovell-Ammon A, Knowles M, Coleman SM, Black MM et al. Health affairs (Project Hope) (2019)
    9. [9]
      An Updated Review of Meat Authenticity Methods and Applications.Vlachos A, Arvanitoyannis IS, Tserkezou P Critical reviews in food science and nutrition (2016)
    10. [10]
      Decrease in pyridoxal-5'-phosphate concentration and increase in pyridoxal concentration in rat plasma by 4'-O-methylpyridoxine administration.Kobayashi D, Yoshimura T, Johno A, Ishikawa M, Sasaki K, Wada K Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.) (2015)
    11. [11]
      Food poisoning and house gecko: myth or reality?Kotangale JP Journal of environmental science & engineering (2011)
    12. [12]
      Bioanalytical methods for food contaminant analysis.Van Emon JM Journal of AOAC International (2010)
    13. [13]
      Hazard analysis and critical control point.Tompkins OS AAOHN journal : official journal of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (2009)
    14. [14]
      Liquid chromatographic method for the quantification of zearalenone in baby food and animal feed: interlaboratory study.Arranz I, Mischke C, Stroka J, Sizoo E, van Egmond H, Neugebauer M Journal of AOAC International (2007)
    15. [15]
      A review on novel developments and applications of immunosensors in food analysis.Ricci F, Volpe G, Micheli L, Palleschi G Analytica chimica acta (2007)
    16. [16]
      Post Launch Monitoring of food products: what can be learned from pharmacovigilance.van Puijenbroek EP, Hepburn PA, Herd TM, van Grootheest AC Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP (2007)
    17. [17]
      The most common causes of chemical food poisonings in humans.Krzyszycha R, Bielak J Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Sklodowska. Sectio D: Medicina (2004)
    18. [18]
      Absence ochratoxin A in soy sauce.Blesa J, Soriano JM, Moltó JC, Mañes J International journal of food microbiology (2004)
    19. [19]
    20. [20]
      Methods for the determination of deoxynivalenol and other trichothecenes in foods.Lombaert GA Advances in experimental medicine and biology (2002)
    21. [21]
    22. [22]
      A series of outbreaks of food poisoning?Brieseman M, Hill S, Holmes J, Giles S, Ball A The New Zealand medical journal (2000)
    23. [23]
      Sensitive streptavidin-biotin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for rapid screening of chloramphenicol residues in swine muscle tissue.van de Water C, Haagsma N Journal - Association of Official Analytical Chemists (1990)
    24. [24]
      Potential and advantages of immunochemical methods for analysis of foods.Newsome WH Journal - Association of Official Analytical Chemists (1986)
    25. [25]
      Vibrio parahaemolyticus-food poisoning: case report.Corner BM, Cawley PF The New Zealand medical journal (1976)
    26. [26]
      The content of histamine and fish food poisoning.Foo LY The New Zealand medical journal (1975)
    27. [27]
    28. [28]
      Vibrio parahaemolyticus from the blue crab Callinectes sapidus in Chesapeake Bay.Krantz GE, Colwell RR, Lovelace E Science (New York, N.Y.) (1969)
    29. [29]
      Identification of a fourth staphylococcal enterotoxin, enterotoxin D.Casman EP, Bennett RW, Dorsey AE, Issa JA Journal of bacteriology (1967)

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