There's nothing like a case (or many cases) of food poisoning to quickly spoil your summer picnic or party. Food poisoning symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and, sometimes, diarrhea.

Because children have a smaller body mass than do adults, they're likely to suffer more serious symptoms with a case of food poisoning. These tips from the Pediatric Infectious Disease Program at All Children's Hospital can help protect you and your family from the most common forms of food poisoning.

What causes food poisoning?
Salmonella, toxoplasma, cereus, clostridia, listeria and E. coli are the most common of the many types of bacteria that can cause food-related illness.

Food poisoning can start off in your refrigerator--when raw meats or poultry are stored where their juices can run out and contaminate other foods.

Harmful bacteria are easily spread during food preparation. After you use your cutting board to cut chicken or meat, be sure to wash it well in hot water. If your cutting board is made of wood, washing can reduce the number of "bad" bacteria but can't eliminate them. Using a non-porous, plastic cutting board will prevent harmful bacteria from staying around, but you still must wash it after handling meat or poultry.

Cooked foods that you leave out for a barbecue, or put in the car to take to a picnic, give harmful bacteria another place to grow. Bacteria grow fastest at warmer temperatures-- their population can double about every 20 minutes! So in the summer months it doesn't take long for foods to harbor enough bacteria to make children and adults sick.

How quickly does food poisoning start? How long does it last?
Food poisoning symptoms can begin as quickly as four hours or as long as 24 hours after eating contaminated food. People who eat the same contaminated food will get sick at about the same time, although symptoms can start quickest in young children because of their small size. Symptoms can last three to four days--longer if people unknowingly continue to eat contaminated food.

What's the best way to treat food poisoning?
The main treatment for food poisoning is to take in enough fluids to prevent dehydration. Fluids that contain both salt and water are best. Give children Pedialyte, just a tablespoon or so at a time, every few minutes. Children get dehydrated quicker than adults do, so fluid replacement is very important.

Call your child's physician if your child is not passing urine at least twice a day, if you can't get your child to take any Pedialyte, or if your child seems confused or exhibits lack of interest in his surroundings.

Hints on how to avoid food poisoning:
Keep hot foods HOT and cold foods COLD.
Wash your hands before preparing food, in between preparing different food courses, and after food preparation is complete.
When grilling chicken, beef or pork, make sure there are no pink juices from the meat. Juices will be clear if the food is sufficiently cooked.
Don't save leftovers that have sat at room temperature or outside. Harmful bacteria will continue to slowly multiply even after the leftovers are refrigerated.