More than 500 sickened from parasite linked to McDonald's salads

Friday, August 24, 2018

More people are getting sick after eating McDonald's salads.

The outbreak started in May and was caused by a parasite infection called Cyclosporiasis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it has now sickened 507 people in 16 states; however, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware are not on the list.

Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, fever and body aches.

So far, 24 people have been hospitalized.

According to the FDA, an unused package of "Fresh Express" salad mix tested positive for the parasite.

McDonald's said in July it had since removed the mix from impacted restaurants:

The health and safety of our customers and the people who work in McDonald's restaurants is always our top priority. The additional states identified by the FDA and CDC are among the same states where a week ago we proactively decided to remove our lettuce blend in impacted restaurants and replace it through a different supplier. McDonald's is committed to the highest standards of food safety and quality and we continue to cooperate and support regulatory and public health officials in their investigations. For those seeking additional information about Cyclospora, we encourage them to visit the CDC and FDA websites.

The states impacted are Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin and New York.

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