The most common symptoms of food poisoning include diarrhea, watery stools, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Most food poisoning symptoms are mild, however, and can safely be treated at home.  

Salmonella.   Food poisoning caused by Salmonella bacteria gives victims flu-like symptoms for as long as a week.   

Botulism.   The first symptoms appear abruptly, usually 18 to 48 hours after the food was eaten. These symptoms include nausea, dry mouth, vomiting, abdominal pain and blurring of vision. The toxin has a paralyzing effect on the nervous system; it prevents the nerves from conducting messages from the brain. Control of the muscles is lost, beginning with those around the face and neck. Loss of the ability to swallow makes it impossible to eat. It leads to choking and may introduce foreign materials into the lungs. The victim usually dies within several days.   

If medical aid is quickly obtained and the correct diagnosis rapidly made, death can be avoided. A serum may be injected which is sometimes able to neutralize a portion of the toxin and limit further paralysis. This serum cannot help the nerves that are already damaged. The speed with which symptoms appear depends largely on the amount of toxin-containing food that is eaten.   

Staphylococcal food poisoning.   This type of food poisoning is associated with abdominal cramps, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. It appears about 6 hours after eating food contaminated with an enterotoxin formed by the staph bacteria. Dairy products, pastries and fish are common foods harboring this organism.