What is a common symptom that requires a food handler to report illness?

Nausea is considered a common symptom that requires a food handler to report illness because it can indicate the presence of foodborne illness or infection. When food handlers experience nausea, it may lead to vomiting, which poses a significant risk of contaminating food, surfaces, and equipment. Reporting nausea allows for proper measures to be taken to ensure the safety of food handling processes and helps prevent the spread of potential pathogens to consumers.

In contrast, while fatigue can affect a food handler's performance, it is not necessarily a direct indicator of a communicable illness related to food safety. Hiccups, although they can be uncomfortable, do not pose a risk of foodborne illness. Frequent sneezing might indicate allergies or a cold but is not specifically associated with foodborne illness unless accompanied by other symptoms. Therefore, nausea stands out as a key symptom that necessitates action to maintain food safety standards in food handling environments.