How to Know if You Are High Risk for Food Poisoning

Are you or someone in your family at high risk for a food-borne illness right now? Take the following quiz to find out.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Paper and pencil or pen.

1. Answer all 17 questions below, and keep track of your "Yes and No" answers.
2. Questions 1-4
   Are you (or your child) under age 5?
   Are you over age 75?
   Are you pregnant?
   Do you take antacid regularly?
3. Questions 5-8
   Are you taking an antibiotic?
   Have you just finished a course of antibiotic treatment less than two weeks ago?
   Do you have HIV, AIDS, or another immune system disorder?
   Are you taking medication that suppresses your immune system?
4. Questions 9 and 10
   Have you undergone gastric surgery?
   Have you had an organ transplant?
5. Questions 11-14
   Do you have lymphoma, leukemia, or Hodgkin's disease?
   Are you undergoing cancer chemotherapy treatment?
   Do you have chronic lung or heart disease?
   Are you malnourished?
6. Questions 15-17
   Do you drink two or more alcoholic beverages a day?
   Do you have liver disease?
   Are you a long-time steroid user (for such conditions as asthma or arthritis)?
7. RESULTS: Count your answers.
   
   If you answered Yes to any of the questions above, you may be at risk for a food-borne disease.

Tips & Warnings

• Please learn ways to prevent or diagnose Food Poisoning and Air-Borne Illnesses in our other articles.
• This is not meant to be Medical Help, but first concern information. Read more in our other articles, or contact your local Medical Provider for more information.