CIPHI BOC Study Ques ons and answers foodborne
illnesses, waterborne illnesses, vectorborne diseases,
zoono c diseases, other related ques ons NEW!!
2025/2026
Hepa s A - Incuba on period - Correct Answers 15-50 days
Usually 28-30 days
Hepa s A - Symptoms - Correct Answers loss of appe te, fa gue, nausea, vomi ng,
abdominal pain, fever, malaise and yellow skin (jaundice)
Hepa s A - transmission - Correct Answers fecal-oral route
Infec ve: up to 2 weeks before onset to 1 week post-jaundice.
Humans are reservoir.
Hepa s A - suspect foods - Correct Answers Ice, shellfish contaminated with sewage.
Hepa s A - exclusion criteria - Correct Answers 14 days if no jaundice. 7 days a0er jaundice
onset.
Life-long immunity following recovery.
Last 2 - 6 months.
Norovirus - incuba on period - Correct Answers 24-48 hours
Norovirus - symptoms - Correct Answers Sudden onset, watery diarrhea, vomi ng, cramp,
nausea, low fever.
,Norovirus - transmission - Correct Answers Very contagious. Low infec ve dose. Fecal-oral.
Person-Person. Humans only reservoir.
Norovirus - most at risk - Correct Answers o Children
o Older Adults
o Those with weakened immune systems.
o These higher risk groups are more likely to experience dehydra on as a result of severe
vomi ng and diarrhea
Salmonellosis types - Correct Answers S. enteri s
S. typhimurium
Salmonellosis incuba on - Correct Answers 6-72 hours
Usually 12-36 hours
Salmonellosis symptoms - Correct Answers Sudden onset, cramp, diarrhea, nausea,
headache, possible vomit.
Salmonellosis transmission - Correct Answers Bacterial. Usually contaminated food, raw
bean sprouts. Human and animal reservoir. Pet contact.
Salmonellosis suspect foods - Correct Answers Raw egg, unpasteurized milk, unwashed
fruit/veg. Raw meat.
Shigellosis IP - Correct Answers 12-96 hours (usually 1-3 days)
Shigellosis symptoms - Correct Answers Diarrhea, fever, cramp. Nausea.
,Possible bloody diarrhea.
May cause HUS in kids.
Shigellosis transmission - Correct Answers Bacterial. Fecal-oral. Sexual contact
Humans only reservoir.
Possibly via mechanical vectors (flies, cockroaches)
Low infec ous dose.
Shigellosis suspect foods - Correct Answers Shigella is not naturally present on foods, but can
contaminate food through cross contamina on during handling, or from exposure to polluted
water
Food is most o0en contaminated with Shigella from water polluted by human sewage.
IP - 1-90 days (usually 3-70 days)
Symptoms - Most cases asymptoma c. Fever, headache. <5% vomit & diarrhea.
Transmission: Environmental bacteria. Gets in raw product (between cooking & packaging) &
spreads via cross-contamina on.
** Psychrotroph. Hardy.
Suspect Foods: So0 cheeses, deli meats, hot dogs, ready to eat meats, unpasteurized milk.
Concern for pregnant women - Correct Answers Listeriosis
L. monocytogenes
IP - 0.5-6 hours
Symptoms - Nausea, vomi ng, rarely fever and diarrhea
Transmission - Bacterial. Grows and produces heat stable enterotoxin in food.
Suspect foods - Cooked rice le0 at room temperature - Correct Answers Bacillus Cereus
(eme c)
, IP - 4-96 hours (usually 12-24)
Symptoms - Severe cramp, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomi ng, headache, fever.
Transmission - Bacterial. Marine organism. More wound infec ons than FBI.
Suspect foods - raw shellfish - Correct Answers Vibrio parahemoly cus
IP - 6-24 hours
Symptoms - Cramp, diarrhea, nausea, rarely vomit and fever.
Transmission - Bacterial. Grows and produces heat labile enterotoxin in food.
Suspect foods - Meat and vegetable soups, cooked meat, desserts, starches. - Correct Answers
Bacillus Cereus (diarrheal)
IP - 0.5 - 8 hours (usually 2-4 hours)
Symptoms - Vomi ng, cramp, diarrhea, nausea.
Transmission - Bacterial. Humans main reservoir. Carried in nares.
Produces heat stable enterotoxin as grows in food.
Suspect foods - Pork, ham, custard, cream desserts.
Raw meat rarely associated with OB b/c poor compe tor. - Correct Answers Staphylococcus
S. aureus
IP - 1-10 days (usually 2-5 days)
Symptoms - Sudden onset cramp, fever, nausea and/or vomit, possible bloody diarrhea,
greenish stool. (Appendici s like)
Transmission - Bacterial.
Microaerophilic - grows in gut, not at room temperature.
Fecal-oral. Water/food.
Most raw poultry contamina on.
illnesses, waterborne illnesses, vectorborne diseases,
zoono c diseases, other related ques ons NEW!!
2025/2026
Hepa s A - Incuba on period - Correct Answers 15-50 days
Usually 28-30 days
Hepa s A - Symptoms - Correct Answers loss of appe te, fa gue, nausea, vomi ng,
abdominal pain, fever, malaise and yellow skin (jaundice)
Hepa s A - transmission - Correct Answers fecal-oral route
Infec ve: up to 2 weeks before onset to 1 week post-jaundice.
Humans are reservoir.
Hepa s A - suspect foods - Correct Answers Ice, shellfish contaminated with sewage.
Hepa s A - exclusion criteria - Correct Answers 14 days if no jaundice. 7 days a0er jaundice
onset.
Life-long immunity following recovery.
Last 2 - 6 months.
Norovirus - incuba on period - Correct Answers 24-48 hours
Norovirus - symptoms - Correct Answers Sudden onset, watery diarrhea, vomi ng, cramp,
nausea, low fever.
,Norovirus - transmission - Correct Answers Very contagious. Low infec ve dose. Fecal-oral.
Person-Person. Humans only reservoir.
Norovirus - most at risk - Correct Answers o Children
o Older Adults
o Those with weakened immune systems.
o These higher risk groups are more likely to experience dehydra on as a result of severe
vomi ng and diarrhea
Salmonellosis types - Correct Answers S. enteri s
S. typhimurium
Salmonellosis incuba on - Correct Answers 6-72 hours
Usually 12-36 hours
Salmonellosis symptoms - Correct Answers Sudden onset, cramp, diarrhea, nausea,
headache, possible vomit.
Salmonellosis transmission - Correct Answers Bacterial. Usually contaminated food, raw
bean sprouts. Human and animal reservoir. Pet contact.
Salmonellosis suspect foods - Correct Answers Raw egg, unpasteurized milk, unwashed
fruit/veg. Raw meat.
Shigellosis IP - Correct Answers 12-96 hours (usually 1-3 days)
Shigellosis symptoms - Correct Answers Diarrhea, fever, cramp. Nausea.
,Possible bloody diarrhea.
May cause HUS in kids.
Shigellosis transmission - Correct Answers Bacterial. Fecal-oral. Sexual contact
Humans only reservoir.
Possibly via mechanical vectors (flies, cockroaches)
Low infec ous dose.
Shigellosis suspect foods - Correct Answers Shigella is not naturally present on foods, but can
contaminate food through cross contamina on during handling, or from exposure to polluted
water
Food is most o0en contaminated with Shigella from water polluted by human sewage.
IP - 1-90 days (usually 3-70 days)
Symptoms - Most cases asymptoma c. Fever, headache. <5% vomit & diarrhea.
Transmission: Environmental bacteria. Gets in raw product (between cooking & packaging) &
spreads via cross-contamina on.
** Psychrotroph. Hardy.
Suspect Foods: So0 cheeses, deli meats, hot dogs, ready to eat meats, unpasteurized milk.
Concern for pregnant women - Correct Answers Listeriosis
L. monocytogenes
IP - 0.5-6 hours
Symptoms - Nausea, vomi ng, rarely fever and diarrhea
Transmission - Bacterial. Grows and produces heat stable enterotoxin in food.
Suspect foods - Cooked rice le0 at room temperature - Correct Answers Bacillus Cereus
(eme c)
, IP - 4-96 hours (usually 12-24)
Symptoms - Severe cramp, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomi ng, headache, fever.
Transmission - Bacterial. Marine organism. More wound infec ons than FBI.
Suspect foods - raw shellfish - Correct Answers Vibrio parahemoly cus
IP - 6-24 hours
Symptoms - Cramp, diarrhea, nausea, rarely vomit and fever.
Transmission - Bacterial. Grows and produces heat labile enterotoxin in food.
Suspect foods - Meat and vegetable soups, cooked meat, desserts, starches. - Correct Answers
Bacillus Cereus (diarrheal)
IP - 0.5 - 8 hours (usually 2-4 hours)
Symptoms - Vomi ng, cramp, diarrhea, nausea.
Transmission - Bacterial. Humans main reservoir. Carried in nares.
Produces heat stable enterotoxin as grows in food.
Suspect foods - Pork, ham, custard, cream desserts.
Raw meat rarely associated with OB b/c poor compe tor. - Correct Answers Staphylococcus
S. aureus
IP - 1-10 days (usually 2-5 days)
Symptoms - Sudden onset cramp, fever, nausea and/or vomit, possible bloody diarrhea,
greenish stool. (Appendici s like)
Transmission - Bacterial.
Microaerophilic - grows in gut, not at room temperature.
Fecal-oral. Water/food.
Most raw poultry contamina on.
