Food poisoning, which is also called foodborne illness, can cause many flu-like symptoms, including fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Bacteria are a common cause of foodborne illnesses, and the particular characteristics of the disease can sometimes indicate the type of bacteria causing the illness. Food poisoning that causes diarrhea for seven days is often a result of contamination by particular strains of bacteria.
Escherichia Coli
Escherichia coli, frequently abbreviated E. coli, can cause diarrhea lasting for three to seven days when accidentally ingested. Infection with E. coli frequently causes watery diarrhea and abdominal cramps, usually with limited vomiting, explains the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. E. coli is normally found in the intestines and feces of humans, and the most common cause of infection with E. coli is eating or drinking food or water contaminated with human feces. One strain of E.coli, O157:H7, causes a particularly extreme type of food-poisoning characterized by severe, usually bloody, diarrhea lasting for five to 10 days. E.coli O157:H7 is often ingested in undercooked beef, unpasteurized milk and juice, and raw fruits and vegetables.
Salmonella Enteritidis
Another type of bacteria causing seven-day diarrhea is Salmonella enteritidis, abbreviated S. enteritidis. This bacteria is often found in eggs and is usually transmitted through eating undercooked or raw eggs, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Salmonella enteritidis infection causes symptoms of abdominal cramps, fever and diarrhea, typically lasting four to seven days. The infection usually resolves without medical treatment, although severe cases may require hospitalization
Shigella
Bacteria of the family Shigella, including Shigella flexneri and Shigella sonnei, are another common cause of seven-day diarrhea. Infection with Shigella is known as shigellosis or bacillary dysentery. Symptoms of shigellosis often include stomach cramps, fever and bloody diarrhea, and usually disappear after five to seven days, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. Children, infants and the elderly may experience severe diarrhea requiring medical attention.
Campylobacter Jejuni
Seven-day diarrhea may also be caused by the bacterium Campylobacter
jejuni. This bacterium is usually transmitted through raw or undercooked shellfish, poultry or meat, raw milk, or contaminated water, explains the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. Infection with Campylobacter jejuni typically causes symptoms of headache, fever, muscle pain and diarrhea, which can be bloody. The symptoms usually last for seven to ten days.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Foodborne Illness-Causing Organisms in the U.S. - What You Need to Know
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Salmonella Enteritidis
- Indiana State Department of Health: Diseases Involving Sewage
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service: Foodborne Illness: What Consumers Need to Know
