Disease of the Week: Rapid Onset Food Poisoning

Aug 14th, 2007 | By | Category: Medicine

After attending a retreat yesterday, I returned home to a night (and morning) of violent vomiting. Quick quiz: what causes rapid-onset food poisoning, as defined by profuse vomiting less than six hours after eating? Anything with pre-formed toxins, of course!

Our selections:

1. Staphylococcus Aureus (from snot)
staph.jpg

2. Bacillus cereus (from improperly cooked and refrigerated starches)
bcereusb.jpg

Snot or rot. Snot or rot? Which is less nauseating to you?