Certified Professional Food Safety (CP-FS) Practice Exam

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What can cause symptoms of foodborne illness as little as one hour after ingestion?

Ciguatoxin
Anisakis spp.
Staphylococcus aureus
Clostridium botulinum

The correct answer is: Anisakis spp.

The rapid onset of foodborne illness symptoms, sometimes as soon as one hour after ingestion, is characteristic of Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium produces an enterotoxin that can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps quite quickly after the contaminated food is consumed. The rapid action of this toxin is due to its stability; it can survive cooking and continues to act after the food has been consumed. Ciguatoxin is associated with certain fish and generally leads to symptoms that can develop over a longer period, typically from a few hours to a couple of days after ingestion. Anisakis spp. is a type of parasite that may cause symptoms, but these usually appear within a few hours to weeks after eating raw or undercooked fish. Clostridium botulinum is primarily known for its delayed onset of symptoms, which typically appears after 12 to 36 hours, as it operates through a different mechanism by releasing a potent neurotoxin that takes time to affect the nervous system. Therefore, Staphylococcus aureus is the correct choice for causing symptoms of foodborne illness quickly due to its rapidly acting toxin.