Food Poisoning vs Stomach Bug: What’s The Difference?
Most people interchange food poisoning and stomach bugs because they have similar symptoms, but the two are different from one another. Food poisoning is mainly caused by bacteria from contaminated food, while a stomach bug is caused by a virus.
These two illnesses are common for travellers and expats in Thailand. In this Pacific Prime Thailand article, we elaborate on the differences between the two, their symptoms, and recovery. We will also cover how having international health insurance can be useful when travelling to Thailand.
What is Food Poisoning?
Food poisoning is a type of illness that you get from something you ate or drank. This is usually caused by harmful germs or bacteria that contaminated what you consumed. Food poisoning can be prevented by consuming food that is freshly prepared and being vigilant around street food.
Food poisoning is a foodborne acute illness, meaning it can happen suddenly and last for a short time. In most cases, food poisoning only lasts less than a week, and most people recover on their own without receiving medical treatment.
In more serious cases, however, it is highly recommended to seek medical help to prevent further complications.
What is a Stomach Bug?
A stomach bug is a highly contagious intestinal infection.Similar to food poisoning, you can get a stomach bug from consuming contaminated food and drinks. You can also get infected from sharing utensils or food with someone who has a virus that causes the illness (e.g. noroviruses, or rotavirus).
It is also called “viral gastroenteritis,” but it is commonly called “stomach flu.” It’s important to remember that stomach flu is not the same as the flu (influenza). Getting a flu vaccine will not protect you from contracting a stomach flu.
Food Poisoning Symptoms
Diarrhea, stomach pain or cramps, and nausea are some of the common symptoms of food poisoning. These symptoms typically appear about two to six hours after eating or drinking something that was contaminated or not properly handled.
The most common symptoms of food poisoning are:
- Diarrhea
- Stomach pain or cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
Food poisoning can also lead to dehydration due to diarrhea and vomiting. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids and electrolytes when recovering from the illness.
Less common but more serious symptoms are:
- Bloody diarrhea
- Diarrhea lasting for over three days
- High fever
- Persistent vomiting
- Dehydration
If you are experiencing severe symptoms of food poisoning, seek help from a doctor immediately.
Further read: A Guide to Food Poisoning Symptoms for Expats in Thailand
Stomach Bug Symptoms
Watery diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting are some common symptoms of a stomach bug. The symptoms for stomach bugs typically appear within one to three days after exposure to the virus. In most cases, stomach bugs are harder to detect since you can’t backtrack on what you ate or drank.
The most common symptoms for a stomach bug are:
- Watery diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach pain or cramps
- Muscle aches
- Headache
- Fever
More serious symptoms are:
- Can’t keep liquids down for 24 hours
- Vomiting or diarrhea for more than two days
- Vomiting blood
- Dehydration
- Blood in bowel movements
- Severe stomach pain
- High fever
Understanding the difference between food poisoning and a stomach bug is crucial for determining the right treatment. While both conditions may cause similar symptoms, they differ in origin, onset, and contagiousness.
| Details | Food Poisoning | Stomach Bug (Gastroenteritis) |
| Cause | Contaminated food or drinks (bacteria, viruses, parasites) | Viral infections (e.g., norovirus, rotavirus) |
| Onset | Symptoms appear quickly (within hours) | Symptoms develop over 1-2 days |
| Symptoms | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever | Similar symptoms with fatigue, body aches |
| Contagious? | Not contagious (unless food is shared) | Highly contagious |
| Duration | 1-3 days with proper treatment | Can last up to a week |
Food poisoning often follows the consumption of contaminated food or beverages, and symptoms can appear suddenly within hours. On the other hand, stomach bugs are caused by viral infections and are highly contagious, spreading through close contact with infected individuals.
Seek medical help if you are experiencing serious symptoms of gastroenteritis.
How Does Food Become Contaminated?
Contamination can happen from any point from when the ingredients are picked out from the farms to when the food is prepared and served. Food can be contaminated at any time and any place, even at home. Here are some ways on how food gets contaminated:
Poor Handwashing
It is important to wash your hands after using the toilet. Feces, germs or bacteria that remain on the hands can be transferred when preparing food or serving food, leading to contamination and foodborne illnesses. Handwashing is crucial to prevent getting sick.
Unhygienic Cooking or Eating Areas
If the kitchen or dining areas are not regularly disinfected, the bacteria or virus that causes foodborne illnesses can linger and infect you. Also, it is important to clean cooking utensils such as knives, cutting boards, and other kitchen tools to avoid cross-contamination between ingredients.
Improper Storage of Food
In most cases, certain foods that have been left out for too long in warm temperatures can cause bacteria to grow fast, increasing the risk of contamination. Spoiled food from prolonged storage in heat or even in the refrigerator can also cause foodborne illnesses.
Food Poisoning Treatment and Recovery
Treatment for food poisoning can differ based on how severe your symptoms are and what caused the illness. If you have a more serious case, you may be prescribed medication to help remove the virus and bacteria in your system.
It’s important to drink plenty of fluids when recovering from food poisoning. Water and electrolytes can help in avoiding severe dehydration that’s caused by diarrhea and vomiting. If you need medication, your doctor may prescribe the following:
- Antibiotics for combating bacteria-causing illness
- Antiparasitics for parasitic infections, targeting parasites in the body
- Probiotics to replace healthy bacteria in the digestive system
- Fever-reducing medications like paracetamol
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms of food poisoning:
- Blood or pus in stool
- Diarrhea lasting more than 3 days
- High fever (above 38.8 °C)
It is advised to seek medical help if you contracted food poisoning shortly after visiting a developing country, like Thailand.
Here is our guide to Food Poisoning First Aid Services in Thailand
Stomach Bug Treatment and Recovery
In most cases, you can treat a stomach bug at home with plenty of rest and drinking lots of fluids. Since you can get dehydrated from a stomach bug, it’s important to restore your body’s hydration balance by drinking plenty of water and electrolytes.
Avoid sugary drinks, caffeine, and alcohol while recovering from a stomach bug. These drinks do not replace lost electrolytes. Coconut water is a good option for electrolytes, and it is low on sugar.
Once you start feeling a bit better, you can slowly introduce bland food to your system. Here’s a list of food that’s easy to consume when recovering from a stomach bug:
- Cereals
- Whole grains
- Breads
- Potatoes
- Bananas
- Vegetables
- Fresh apples
- Plain yogurt
Avoid any food that may upset your stomach like dairy, spicy food, and fried food.
How to Prevent Food Poisoning
Be mindful of your food and drinks to avoid food poisoning, especially while in Thailand. Common places that might have contamination are street vendors and eateries that look questionable. For drinks, opt for bottled water to ensure the water is clean and there is no contamination.
Good hygiene practices are crucial for preventing food poisoning. Always wash your hands after using the restroom and before eating. If you are buying fruits and vegetables, make sure to wash them thoroughly before cooking and opt for fresh options.
Additionally, if you are travelling to Thailand and you are new to the local cuisine, it’s important to do research to understand how Thai dishes are typically made and what ingredients could cause food poisoning.
By being vigilant on what you consume, you can enjoy what Thailand has to offer without worrying about getting sick.
How to Prevent Stomach Bug
The best way to prevent catching a stomach bug is to practice good personal hygiene. Wash your hands before eating, especially if you went to the bathroom before a meal. You can reduce the risk of getting the stomach flu and spreading the virus to others by doing so.
Since stomach bugs are contagious, it’s best to avoid any interaction with other people until you are fully recovered to avoid spreading the illness further. Stomach bugs have a higher chance of infecting others than food poisoning due to their contagious nature.
Difference Between Food Poisoning and Stomach Bug
While the two illnesses seem similar in terms of their symptoms and causes, you can identify whether you have food poisoning or a stomach bug based on what food or drink you have consumed. Here are some ways in which food poisoning and a stomach bug differ from each other:
Source or Cause of the Illness
For most food poisoning cases, the source of the illness is from food that’s been contaminated by bacteria like salmonella, E. coli, norovirus, listeria, and campylobacter – the most common cause of food poisoning.
On the other hand, stomach bugs are usually caused by viruses like rotavirus, norovirus, adenovirus, and others that may be transmitted through consuming contaminated food and drinks or by contacting unsanitized objects. The most common viruses that cause stomach bugs are norovirus and rotavirus.
Duration of Illness
Food poisoning usually takes effect after six hours of consuming contaminated food, while stomach bug symptoms begin one to two days after being exposed to the virus. Most often, these illnesses come without warning.
It may take from a few days to up to two weeks to fully recover from a stomach bug, while food poisoning typically lasts within 12 to 48 hours in healthy people.
However, if you experience serious complications, you could be sick with food poisoning for 10 days or more. It’s best to consult a doctor if you experience worsening symptoms to get the right treatment for you.
Treatments and Home Remedies
Most of the time, you can treat a stomach bug at home with plenty of rest and fluids, while food poisoning may need medication to help you pass the illness. Both illnesses require rest and fluids, but there are different treatments to help with different symptoms.
If you’re dealing with a stomach bug or food poisoning, some home remedies include:
- The BRAT Diet – stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. These four particular foods are easy to digest, they replenish nutrients and provide energy since they contain carbohydrates
- Drinking sports drinks for electrolyte replacement – having sports drinks together with water can help speed up your electrolyte replacement and keep you hydrated
- Drinking certain teas like ginger and peppermint – teas can calm your stomach and alleviate nausea. Avoid having highly caffeinated teas, as this could make symptoms worse.
For food poisoning specifically, treatment includes certain medication to help ease symptoms and flush out the virus or bacteria in your body. Consult your doctor on prescribing you the right medication for food poisoning.
Things to Prepare Before Going to Thailand
Whether you are a first-time traveller or an expat looking to relocate in Thailand, it’s important to prepare for any possibilities of getting infected with food poisoning or a stomach bug. Since these illnesses can happen at any point, protect yourself by preparing the following:
Health Insurance
Securing an international health insurance plan before you travel to Thailand can help alleviate your worries on expensive medical treatments. Most private hospitals and clinics can be quite expensive, especially if you get admitted to stay at a hospital overnight.
The good news is, a health insurance policy will most likely cover foodborne illness. Be sure to consult with an insurance broker, like Pacific Prime, on which insurance plans, coverage, and benefits would be best for you.
Further read: Food Poisoning and Your Health Insurance in Thailand
Your Own Medication/Remedies
While there is the option of visiting a pharmacy or a doctor in Thailand, it’s best to bring your own medication or remedies in case you can’t find the right medicine due to language issues or allergies.
Also, having your medication readily available can help you treat your symptoms immediately. You can avoid worsening symptoms and have peace of mind knowing that you can rest easy and keep yourself safe.
Understand Thailand’s Healthcare System
Thailand is considered to have one of the world’s best healthcare systems, which offers universal health coverage to all Thai citizens that meet certain qualifications. However, foreigners and expats are not eligible to access Thailand’s universal health coverage.
This is where having private health insurance can come in handy. For short-term visitors, or tourists, travel medical insurance is great to avoid any unnecessary medical expense in the event of a medical emergency.
Your health matters and it’s important to be prepared for any scenario, whether you catch food poisoning or gastroenteritis. To help you get started, Pacific Prime can help you secure a comprehensive international health insurance plan to cover your healthcare needs in Thailand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is food poisoning common in Thailand?
Due to contaminated food and water, you can contract food poisoning in Thailand if you are not careful with what you eat and drink. Also, food is more likely to be spoiled at a faster pace due to Thailand’s hot weather. Make sure to be mindful of what you eat to avoid getting food poisoning.
How long does it take to recover from food poisoning and a stomach bug?
Most often, food poisoning lasts between 12 to 48 hours, but there are some cases where the recovery time is longer if there are specific symptoms that continue to persist. For stomach bugs, it usually lasts around three to four days but it can last up to a week or two in severe cases.
What’s the difference between stomach flu and the flu (influenza)?
Stomach flu is a viral infection that affects your stomach and intestines, while the flu affects your respiratory system. Common symptoms of influenza include nasal congestion, sore throat, and a runny nose. On the other hand, the symptoms for stomach flu include diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
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