What are common symptoms of foodborne illness?

Common symptoms of foodborne illness typically include gastrointestinal distress such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes fever. These symptoms occur as the body's immune response to harmful pathogens, toxins, or contaminants in contaminated food or beverages. Nausea and vomiting are body mechanisms to expel harmful substances from the digestive tract, while diarrhea helps to flush out toxins more rapidly. Fever can indicate an immune response to an infection.

In contrast, headaches and fatigue, muscle aches and chills, and respiratory symptoms like coughing and sneezing are often associated with other types of illnesses, such as viral infections or flu-like conditions, rather than directly with foodborne pathogens. Thus, while these symptoms can overlap in some cases, they do not typically arise exclusively from foodborne illnesses, making the first option the most relevant and correct choice in this context.