Pathogen-Specific Information

Pathogens

Salmonella (non-typhoidal)

Fast facts

A bacterial infection commonly linked to contaminated food, water, or animal contact.
Common exposures include poultry, eggs, meat, unpasteurized milk, produce, and reptiles or backyard poultry.
Symptoms commonly begin 6–72 hours after exposure and usually last 2–7 days.

Common signs and symptoms

Diarrhoea
Fever
Stomach cramps
Nausea and sometimes vomiting

Prevention and public action

Cook poultry, meat, and eggs thoroughly.
Avoid unpasteurized milk and foods containing raw egg.
Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods.
Wash hands after handling raw foods, reptiles, or poultry.
Avoid suspected foods and follow recall or public health advice.

Actions for CMS / health authorities

Investigate clusters using appropriate exposure windows.
Collect appropriate specimens and food/environmental samples in consultation with laboratories.
Implement control measures and notify CARPHA through established channels when support is required.

When to seek medical care

Bloody diarrhoea.
Fever above 38.9°C (102°F).
Symptoms lasting more than 2–3 days.
Repeated vomiting.
Signs of dehydration.

Shigella

Fast facts

A highly infectious bacterium spread mainly by the faecal–oral route.
Transmission can occur through contaminated hands, food, water, surfaces, and sexual contact.
Symptoms usually begin 1–2 days after exposure and often last about 7 days.

Common signs and symptoms

Diarrhoea that may be bloody or prolonged
Fever
Stomach pain
Feeling the need to pass stool even when the bowel is empty

Prevention and public action

Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Avoid preparing food for others while ill.
Use safe water and maintain sanitation in homes and institutions.
Follow health-authority advice on exclusion from food handling, childcare, healthcare, or other high-risk work.

Actions for CMS / health authorities

Investigate clusters in childcare, schools, care facilities, and food premises.
Collect appropriate clinical specimens early and reinforce hygiene and exclusion measures.
Use antimicrobial treatment and resistance information only under clinical and public health guidance.

When to seek medical care

Bloody or prolonged diarrhoea.
Fever.
Severe pain.
Repeated vomiting.
Dehydration.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), including E. coli O157:H7

Fast facts

A group of bacteria that can cause severe diarrhoeal illness and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS).
Common exposures include undercooked ground meat, unpasteurized milk or juice, contaminated produce or water, and animal contact.
Symptoms commonly begin 3–4 days after exposure but may begin 1–10 days after exposure.

Common signs and symptoms

Severe stomach cramps
Watery or bloody diarrhoea
Vomiting
Usually little or no fever

Prevention and public action

Cook ground meat thoroughly to 71°C (160°F).
Avoid unpasteurized milk and juice.
Rinse produce under safe running water; washing reduces but does not eliminate all risk.
Prevent cross-contamination and wash hands after animal contact.
Seek medical care for bloody diarrhoea. Do not self-treat with antibiotics or anti-diarrhoeal medicines; clinical management should be determined by a healthcare professional.

Actions for CMS / health authorities

Notify clinicians and laboratories promptly when STEC is suspected.
Obtain appropriate specimens and preserve isolates or positive material according to referral guidance.
Investigate linked food, water, animal, and environmental exposures.

When to seek medical care

Bloody diarrhoea.
Reduced urination.
Unusual bruising.
Extreme tiredness.
Severe pain.
Dehydration.

Campylobacter

Fast facts

A bacterial cause of diarrhoeal illness.
Common exposures include undercooked poultry, unpasteurized milk, untreated water, and animal contact.
Symptoms usually begin 2–5 days after exposure.

Common signs and symptoms

Diarrhoea, sometimes bloody
Fever
Stomach cramps
Nausea and sometimes vomiting

Prevention and public action

Cook poultry thoroughly to 74°C (165°F).
Avoid unpasteurized milk and untreated water.
Prevent cross-contamination; never wash raw poultry, which can spread germs by splashing.
Avoid preparing food for others while ill.

Actions for CMS / health authorities

Collect appropriate clinical specimens and investigate linked poultry, dairy, water, and animal exposures.
Inspect implicated premises and notify CARPHA through established channels when support is needed.

When to seek medical care

Bloody diarrhoea.
Fever above 38.9°C (102°F).
Symptoms lasting more than 2 days.
Repeated vomiting.
Dehydration.
New weakness or tingling.

Cholera (Vibrio cholerae O1/O139)

Fast facts

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection spread through contaminated food or water.
Symptoms can begin 12 hours to 5 days after exposure.
Severe illness can cause rapid, life-threatening dehydration.

Common signs and symptoms

Profuse watery diarrhoea
Vomiting
Leg cramps
Rapid dehydration and shock in severe illness

Prevention and public action

Use safe water, sanitation, and hand hygiene.
Cook food thoroughly and avoid raw seafood in affected areas.
Start drinking oral rehydration solution (ORS) immediately and seek urgent medical care.

Actions for CMS / health authorities

Immediately notify national authorities and CARPHA through established channels when cholera is suspected.
Collect appropriate specimens and begin epidemiological, water, sanitation, food safety, and risk communication actions without waiting for final confirmation.

When to seek medical care

Continuous watery diarrhoea.
Repeated vomiting.
Weakness.
Little urine.
Sunken eyes.
Thirst.
Lethargy.
Any sign of severe dehydration.

Non-cholera Vibrio infections (vibriosis)

Non-cholera Vibrio infections and prevention

Fast facts

Vibrio species naturally occur in coastal waters; risk increases with warm water.
Infection may follow eating raw or undercooked shellfish or exposing an open wound to coastal or brackish water.

Common signs and symptoms

Watery diarrhoea, cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever
Redness, swelling, pain, or rapidly worsening wound infection

Prevention and public action

Cook shellfish thoroughly and prevent raw-seafood cross-contamination.
Keep open wounds out of coastal or brackish water; cover wounds with a waterproof bandage if exposure may occur.
Seek urgent care for rapidly worsening wound symptoms, especially with liver disease, diabetes, or weakened immunity.

Actions for CMS / health authorities

Ask about seafood and wound-water exposures.
Collect appropriate clinical and food/environmental specimens and provide rapid clinical/public health notification for severe disease.

When to seek medical care

Severe or rapidly worsening wound infection.
Fever with wound exposure.
Sepsis symptoms.
Dehydration.

Listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes)

Listeriosis foodborne infection prevention

Fast facts

A foodborne bacterial infection that is most serious during pregnancy, in newborns and older adults, and in people with weakened immune systems.
Foods of concern can include unpasteurized dairy products and certain refrigerated ready-to-eat foods; the exact risk depends on processing and storage.
Intestinal symptoms may begin within 24 hours; invasive illness usually begins within about 2 weeks but can occur later.

Common signs and symptoms

Fever and flu-like symptoms
Headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures in invasive disease
During pregnancy, illness may be mild but can harm the pregnancy or newborn

Prevention and public action

Choose pasteurized dairy products.
Follow recalls and product-specific advice.
People at higher risk should follow national advice on refrigerated ready-to-eat foods and reheat relevant products until steaming hot.
Pregnant persons and other high-risk individuals with fever or compatible symptoms after a known exposure should contact a healthcare provider.

Actions for CMS / health authorities

Use an exposure history appropriate for listeriosis, not a standard 72-hour food history.
Coordinate clinical, food, and environmental sampling and rapid traceback where a cluster or recalled product is suspected.

When to seek medical care

Fever during pregnancy.
Stiff neck.
Confusion.
Loss of balance.
Seizures.
Severe or worsening illness.

Norovirus

Fast facts

A highly contagious virus spread through infected people, contaminated food or water, and contaminated surfaces.
Outbreaks can occur in hotels, cruise ships, schools, care facilities, and food premises.
Symptoms usually begin 12–48 hours after exposure and most people recover in 1–3 days.

Common signs and symptoms

Sudden vomiting
Watery diarrhoea
Stomach pain or cramps
Nausea and sometimes low-grade fever

Prevention and public action

Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; sanitizer alone does not work well against norovirus.
Do not prepare food or care for others while ill and for at least 48 hours after symptoms stop.
Clean visible vomit or stool first, then disinfect using a product effective against norovirus or a chlorine solution prepared to the concentration directed by public health authorities and the product label.
Take frequent small sips of safe fluids and use oral rehydration solution (ORS) as directed.

Actions for CMS / health authorities

Investigate institutional and tourism clusters promptly.
Implement exclusion, environmental cleaning, laundry, waste, and communication protocols.
Use national guidance for chlorine concentrations; if 1,000–5,000 ppm is specified, calculate it using the actual bleach strength and follow contact-time and surface-safety instructions.

When to seek medical care

Inability to keep liquids down.
Dehydration.
Bloody diarrhoea.
Severe pain.
Symptoms lasting more than 3 days.
Worsening illness in a high-risk person.

Leptospirosis

Fast facts

A zoonotic bacterial disease spread through urine from infected animals, often rodents, livestock, and dogs.
Risk may increase after flooding or heavy rainfall. Infection can occur when contaminated water or soil contacts broken skin or the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Symptoms can begin 2–30 days after exposure.

Common signs and symptoms

Fever and headache
Muscle aches, sometimes prominent in the calves
Red eyes, nausea, or vomiting
Jaundice, breathing difficulty, bleeding, or organ failure in severe illness

Prevention and public action

Avoid wading or swimming in floodwater when possible.
Wear waterproof boots, gloves, and protective clothing during cleanup.
Cover cuts, control rodents, protect food and water, and wash after exposure.
Seek medical care promptly if fever or compatible symptoms develop after floodwater, soil, or animal-urine exposure.

Actions for CMS / health authorities

Promote early clinical recognition and testing.
Map environmental risks and coordinate health, environmental, animal health, water, sanitation, and risk communication actions.

When to seek medical care

Fever after relevant exposure.
Jaundice.
Difficulty breathing.
Reduced urination.
Bleeding.
Confusion.
Severe muscle pain.

Pathogen-Specific Information

Surveillance, Alerts, and Technical Support

Risk Communication and Preparedness Resources

Weather- and Disaster-Related Health Risks

Frequently Asked Questions

Workshops & Training

Trusted Sources and Additional Information

Contact Us

For information on CARPHA’s Foodborne Diseases and Zoonoses (One Health) Programme, technical resources or outbreak support, contact:

Foodborne Diseases and Zoonoses (One Health) Programme

Ms. Tamara Barnard - barnarta@carpha.org

For laboratory testing, sample referral, clearance and shipping guidance, contact:

CARPHA Medical Microbiology Laboratory (CMML)

customerservice@carpha.org

Member States should contact CMML before shipping samples.

This information does not replace professional medical advice. During an emergency or suspected outbreak, follow the instructions of your national or local public health authority.

CARPHA HEAD OFFICE

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Port of Spain,
Trinidad & Tobago
(+868) 299-0820
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(+868) 622-4261
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Jamaica
(+876) 977-3540
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Saint Lucia
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