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Abstract

Food poisoning is an illness caused by ingestion of contaminated food or drink. Contamination can be caused by bacteria or viruses, and less often by parasites or chemicals. According to a report released by the Food Standards Agency, the estimated number of food-borne disease-related cases that occurred in 2018 was 2 400 000, costing the economy an estimate of £9.1 billion. Of these cases, more than 200 000 visited their general practitioner, with around 15 000 ending up in hospital. This article gives an overview of the clinical manifestation, aetiology and management of this very common condition.

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