Stomach flu really food poisining?

[Pnut Weeny]

It seems that I read one that there is no such thing as the "stomach flu". (Categorized as vomiting, diarrhea, etc) I thought I read that there is only one true influenza which is a respitory ailment.

I belive it said when you have the "stomach flu" it's acutally food poisining. Does anyone know if this is true? If so, where can I read about this? I tried to find something myself on the internet but couldn't find anything about it.

Thanks so much for any info.

[Thalia]

I have always hear this, too. Here is one link I found-
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00085

I did think that most of these foodborne illnesses were bacteria, but this page says you can get "stomach flu" symptoms from viruses.

[Pnut Weeny]

Thank you Thalia :)

[luckiecharms]

I dont think so, i think the stomache flu is where your sick and your stomacke just cant hold any food in. I mean why else would you have a sore throat or stuffy nose when you have the flu? Food poisening doesnt cause that. My grandpa has had it before and he just got violentlly sick to the stomache. with food poisening you get sick to your stomache but the flu is different.

[mushroom]

Since going veg. our family almost never gets the "stomach" flu...so I think it is food poisoning.

[luckiecharms]

mushroom maybe its because your eating healthier and your immune sytem can fight off viruses and stuff better. i dont know for certain but thats what i think.

[1vegan]

I think stomach “flu” is a name that is given to about everything that upsets the stomach.

There is a lot of food poisoning around and it’s not only the cases that have to get to hospital.

If you eat something at 18:00 and wake up sick the next morning, feel miserable during the day and feel (a lot) better the day after that: Most likely food poisoning.

[mushroom]

A few years ago, we got Chinese take out and my husband and I were the only ones to eat a particular dish, and coinkydink, we were the only ones who got sick to our stomachs about 8 hours later. I tend to think all along, I was making my family sick with bacteria from meat...
I have also noticed that sometimes my children who attend one school will get "the stomach flu" but not the two who attend the other school and vice versa. If it were a virus, it should spread at home. I'm thinking that they were served the same "bad" food.
Just my theory.