What Do I Do if Restaurant or Store-Bought Food Made Me Sick?

1. Contact your health care provider especially if you or the family member is in a high-risk group: infants, preschool children, adults 65 years and over, pregnant or nursing women, and immuno-compromised adults.
2. Call your local or county public health department (you can find their number in the government pages of your phone book). Reporting foodborne illness is critical in order to discover patterns of outbreaks and ensure safety of the food supply.
3. Save the food, if possible. Label "dangerous" and freeze. Also save any packaging or containers.
4. You may need to provide a stool sample for testing in order to get a conclusive diagnosis. Check with your health care provider or health department.
5. Prepare a list of all foods and beverages consumed by the affected individuals in the 4 days prior to starting symptoms, including where person ate. Also write down your symptoms and when they started.

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