CIPHI BOC Study Questions Answered Correctly Latest Update 2025-2026
Hepatitis A - Incubation period - Answers 15-50 days
Usually 28-30 days
Hepatitis A - Symptoms - Answers loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain,
fever, malaise and yellow skin (jaundice)
Hepatitis A - transmission - Answers fecal-oral route
Infective: up to 2 weeks before onset to 1 week post-jaundice.
Humans are reservoir.
Hepatitis A - suspect foods - Answers Ice, shellfish contaminated with sewage.
Hepatitis A - exclusion criteria - Answers 14 days if no jaundice. 7 days after jaundice onset.
Life-long immunity following recovery.
Last 2 - 6 months.
Norovirus - incubation period - Answers 24-48 hours
Norovirus - symptoms - Answers Sudden onset, watery diarrhea, vomiting, cramp, nausea, low
fever.
Norovirus - transmission - Answers Very contagious. Low infective dose. Fecal-oral. Person-
Person. Humans only reservoir.
Norovirus - most at risk - Answers o Children
o Older Adults
o Those with weakened immune systems.
o These higher risk groups are more likely to experience dehydration as a result of severe
vomiting and diarrhea
Salmonellosis types - Answers S. enteritis
S. typhimurium
Salmonellosis incubation - Answers 6-72 hours
Usually 12-36 hours
Salmonellosis symptoms - Answers Sudden onset, cramp, diarrhea, nausea, headache, possible
,vomit.
Salmonellosis transmission - Answers Bacterial. Usually contaminated food, raw bean sprouts.
Human and animal reservoir. Pet contact.
Salmonellosis suspect foods - Answers Raw egg, unpasteurized milk, unwashed fruit/veg. Raw
meat.
Shigellosis IP - Answers 12-96 hours (usually 1-3 days)
Shigellosis symptoms - Answers Diarrhea, fever, cramp. Nausea.
Possible bloody diarrhea.
May cause HUS in kids.
Shigellosis transmission - Answers Bacterial. Fecal-oral. Sexual contact
Humans only reservoir.
Possibly via mechanical vectors (flies, cockroaches)
Low infectious dose.
Shigellosis suspect foods - Answers Shigella is not naturally present on foods, but can
contaminate food through cross contamination during handling, or from exposure to polluted
water
Food is most often contaminated with Shigella from water polluted by human sewage.
IP - 1-90 days (usually 3-70 days)
Symptoms - Most cases asymptomatic. Fever, headache. <5% vomit & diarrhea.
Transmission: Environmental bacteria. Gets in raw product (between cooking & packaging) &
spreads via cross-contamination.
** Psychrotroph. Hardy.
Suspect Foods: Soft cheeses, deli meats, hot dogs, ready to eat meats, unpasteurized milk.
Concern for pregnant women - Answers Listeriosis
L. monocytogenes
IP - 0.5-6 hours
Symptoms - Nausea, vomiting, rarely fever and diarrhea
,Transmission - Bacterial. Grows and produces heat stable enterotoxin in food.
Suspect foods - Cooked rice left at room temperature - Answers Bacillus Cereus (emetic)
IP - 4-96 hours (usually 12-24)
Symptoms - Severe cramp, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever.
Transmission - Bacterial. Marine organism. More wound infections than FBI.
Suspect foods - raw shellfish - Answers Vibrio parahemolyticus
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. - Answers Bacillus
Cereus (diarrheal)
IP - 0.5 - 8 hours (usually 2-4 hours)
Symptoms - Vomiting, 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 competitor. - 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. (Appendicitis like)
Transmission - Bacterial.
Microaerophilic - grows in gut, not at room temperature.
Fecal-oral. Water/food.
Most raw poultry contamination.
Suspect foods - Contaminated food, water, raw poultry, contact with infected animals. Non-
chlorinated water. - Answers Campylobacter enteritis
, C. jejuni
C. coli
IP - 3-7 days
Symptoms - Cramp, fever, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, lower right quadrant pain
Transmission - Bacterial. Psychrotroph.
High infectious dose. Animals (pigs) are the main reservoir.
Fecal-oral.
Suspect foods - Pork and milk products. Chocolate milk. - Answers Yersiniosis
Y. Enterocolitica
IP - 2-10 days (usually 3-4 days)
Symptoms - Diarrhea, fever, possible headache, cramp, possible bloody diarrhea. HUS possible
in kids <5yrs.
Transmission - Bacterial. Fecal-oral.
Some strains produce enterotoxin. Usually harmless gut flora.
0157:H7 linked to beef
Suspect foods - Contaminated food, unpasteurized product. Raw beef, raw milk and apple cider,
sprouts. - Answers E-coli
(STEC, EHEC, VTEC)
(STEC: 0157:H7)
IP - 6-36 hours (earlier symptoms = increased severity)
Symptoms - Fatigue, weakness, vertigo. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Neurological symptoms
(flaccid paralysis).
Transmission - Bacterial.
4 clinical forms.
Produces a heat labile neurotoxin in food.
Anaerobic.
Suspect foods - Carrot juice, baked potatoes, improper canning, fermented meat (Muktuk),
Hepatitis A - Incubation period - Answers 15-50 days
Usually 28-30 days
Hepatitis A - Symptoms - Answers loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain,
fever, malaise and yellow skin (jaundice)
Hepatitis A - transmission - Answers fecal-oral route
Infective: up to 2 weeks before onset to 1 week post-jaundice.
Humans are reservoir.
Hepatitis A - suspect foods - Answers Ice, shellfish contaminated with sewage.
Hepatitis A - exclusion criteria - Answers 14 days if no jaundice. 7 days after jaundice onset.
Life-long immunity following recovery.
Last 2 - 6 months.
Norovirus - incubation period - Answers 24-48 hours
Norovirus - symptoms - Answers Sudden onset, watery diarrhea, vomiting, cramp, nausea, low
fever.
Norovirus - transmission - Answers Very contagious. Low infective dose. Fecal-oral. Person-
Person. Humans only reservoir.
Norovirus - most at risk - Answers o Children
o Older Adults
o Those with weakened immune systems.
o These higher risk groups are more likely to experience dehydration as a result of severe
vomiting and diarrhea
Salmonellosis types - Answers S. enteritis
S. typhimurium
Salmonellosis incubation - Answers 6-72 hours
Usually 12-36 hours
Salmonellosis symptoms - Answers Sudden onset, cramp, diarrhea, nausea, headache, possible
,vomit.
Salmonellosis transmission - Answers Bacterial. Usually contaminated food, raw bean sprouts.
Human and animal reservoir. Pet contact.
Salmonellosis suspect foods - Answers Raw egg, unpasteurized milk, unwashed fruit/veg. Raw
meat.
Shigellosis IP - Answers 12-96 hours (usually 1-3 days)
Shigellosis symptoms - Answers Diarrhea, fever, cramp. Nausea.
Possible bloody diarrhea.
May cause HUS in kids.
Shigellosis transmission - Answers Bacterial. Fecal-oral. Sexual contact
Humans only reservoir.
Possibly via mechanical vectors (flies, cockroaches)
Low infectious dose.
Shigellosis suspect foods - Answers Shigella is not naturally present on foods, but can
contaminate food through cross contamination during handling, or from exposure to polluted
water
Food is most often contaminated with Shigella from water polluted by human sewage.
IP - 1-90 days (usually 3-70 days)
Symptoms - Most cases asymptomatic. Fever, headache. <5% vomit & diarrhea.
Transmission: Environmental bacteria. Gets in raw product (between cooking & packaging) &
spreads via cross-contamination.
** Psychrotroph. Hardy.
Suspect Foods: Soft cheeses, deli meats, hot dogs, ready to eat meats, unpasteurized milk.
Concern for pregnant women - Answers Listeriosis
L. monocytogenes
IP - 0.5-6 hours
Symptoms - Nausea, vomiting, rarely fever and diarrhea
,Transmission - Bacterial. Grows and produces heat stable enterotoxin in food.
Suspect foods - Cooked rice left at room temperature - Answers Bacillus Cereus (emetic)
IP - 4-96 hours (usually 12-24)
Symptoms - Severe cramp, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever.
Transmission - Bacterial. Marine organism. More wound infections than FBI.
Suspect foods - raw shellfish - Answers Vibrio parahemolyticus
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. - Answers Bacillus
Cereus (diarrheal)
IP - 0.5 - 8 hours (usually 2-4 hours)
Symptoms - Vomiting, 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 competitor. - 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. (Appendicitis like)
Transmission - Bacterial.
Microaerophilic - grows in gut, not at room temperature.
Fecal-oral. Water/food.
Most raw poultry contamination.
Suspect foods - Contaminated food, water, raw poultry, contact with infected animals. Non-
chlorinated water. - Answers Campylobacter enteritis
, C. jejuni
C. coli
IP - 3-7 days
Symptoms - Cramp, fever, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, lower right quadrant pain
Transmission - Bacterial. Psychrotroph.
High infectious dose. Animals (pigs) are the main reservoir.
Fecal-oral.
Suspect foods - Pork and milk products. Chocolate milk. - Answers Yersiniosis
Y. Enterocolitica
IP - 2-10 days (usually 3-4 days)
Symptoms - Diarrhea, fever, possible headache, cramp, possible bloody diarrhea. HUS possible
in kids <5yrs.
Transmission - Bacterial. Fecal-oral.
Some strains produce enterotoxin. Usually harmless gut flora.
0157:H7 linked to beef
Suspect foods - Contaminated food, unpasteurized product. Raw beef, raw milk and apple cider,
sprouts. - Answers E-coli
(STEC, EHEC, VTEC)
(STEC: 0157:H7)
IP - 6-36 hours (earlier symptoms = increased severity)
Symptoms - Fatigue, weakness, vertigo. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Neurological symptoms
(flaccid paralysis).
Transmission - Bacterial.
4 clinical forms.
Produces a heat labile neurotoxin in food.
Anaerobic.
Suspect foods - Carrot juice, baked potatoes, improper canning, fermented meat (Muktuk),
