Foodborne illness information for the public

Learn how to report a case of food poisoning and find disease-specific fact sheets.

Foodborne illness complaints

If you believe you have experienced foodborne illness (“food poisoning”) and would like to report a restaurant or other exposure, please call:

• Your local board of health
• The MDPH Food Protection Program [phone]
• Or the MDPH Epidemiology Program [phone]

Please be prepared to provide a food history for the 72 hours prior to symptom onset. You may also want to visit your healthcare provider.

Disease-specific fact sheets

You can view fact sheets about diseases that can be spread through food or drinks.

• Botulism
• Brucellosis
• Campylobacter
• Cholera
• Cryptosporidiosis
• Cyclospora
• Giardia
• Hepatitis A
• Listeria (Listeriosis)
• Noroviruses (Norwalk-like Viruses)
• Salmonella
• Shiga Toxin Producing Escherichia coli
• Shigella
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Massachusetts surveillance data

Click here to view Massachusetts surveillance data about foodborne diseases.

MDPH resources

• Food Protection Program

Additional resources

• Foodsafety.gov
• CDC Food Safety
• CDC Symptoms and Sources of Food Poisoning
• CDC Foodborne Outbreaks
• CDC OutbreakNet Enhanced
• FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts
• USDA Current Recalls and Alerts