Eat, drink & be wary — Tainted food can sicken you at restaurants — and at home

It's the downside of dining, when your queasy stomach gives way to vomiting and diarrhea. Is it the flu, or something you ate?

You begin to wonder if you're the latest victim in the high-profile food poisoning cases that have plagued the country in recent years: E. coli in spinach and ground beef. Salmonella in jalapenos. Norwalk virus on cruise ships and in restaurants.

As the misery mounts, you wonder what to do next. Wait it out? Head for the emergency room? Call the health department?

That's not an easy decision, since symptoms, and their possible causes, can vary so widely, and said Tina L'Estrange, a registered nurse and the communicable health nurse for the Weber-Morgan Health Department. "It depends on the severity of the illness. In some cases, a person may be so dehydrated that they need to go to the emergency room."

An estimated 76 million cases of food-borne disease occur each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The great majority cause symptoms for only a day or two.

But the CDC estimates that there are 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths related to foodborne diseases each year. The most severe cases tend to occur in the very old, the very young, those who already have an illness, or in those who were exposed to a high dosage of the organism.

It's common for people with gastrointestinal problems to think they've got the flu. But more often than not, it's really a foodborne illness, said Bryce C. Larson, manager of the bureau of food protection for the Salt Lake Valley Health Department.

Foodborne illness can cause stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea, whereas flu symptoms are more likely to include fever, chills, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough, according to the Centers for Disease Control Web site.

Seeking help

Centers for Disease Control bulletin recommends consulting a health-care provider about a "diarrheal illness" if it's accompanied by:

• A fever of more than 101.5 F, measured orally;

• Blood in the stools;

• Prolonged vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down;

• Signs of dehydration, including a decrease in urination, a dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up;