Which of the following lists are symptoms of food poisoning?

• A. backache
• B. headache only
• C. cough
• D. abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, feeling sick, fever, dehydration, fainting

Answer: (D)

When food poisoning occurs, the body’s first reaction is in the digestive system, with symptoms like stomach and intestinal upset. The strongest indication is a combination of abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, and feeling sick, often accompanied by fever, dehydration, and sometimes fainting from fluid loss or a fever. This cluster shows both the local GI effects and the systemic signs that can come with illness from contaminated food. The other options don’t fit because they describe symptoms that aren’t typical primary features of food poisoning—backache or headache alone aren’t specific to it, and a cough is a respiratory symptom rather than a GI one. Therefore, the list including abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, feeling sick, fever, dehydration, and fainting best matches the common presentation of food poisoning.