The cyclospora outbreak that is linked to McDonald’s salads keeps on growing. Now at least 286 people in 15 states are sick. Eleven people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported. That is an increase of 123 more patients in the last week. McDonald’s cyclospora lawsuits have been and will continue to be filed on behalf people who are sick through no fault of their own. This microscopic parasite can cause debilitating illness that can last for weeks or months and can recur.
The CDC has listed the case count by state in this outbreak. They are: Connecticut (1), Florida (1), Iowa (80), Illinois (123), Indiana (2) Kentucky (6), Michigan (1), Minnesota (8), Missouri (30), Nebraska (5), Ohio (11), South Dakota (11), Tennessee (1), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (5). The patients who live in Connecticut, Michigan, Tennessee, and Virginia bought salad while they were in Illinois. The patient in Florida purchased a McDonald’s salad in Kentucky.
McDonald’s has voluntarily stopped selling salads in more than 3,000 locations in specific states around the country. Those states are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
You can contact attorney Fred Pritzker at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
Attorney Fred Pritzker, who is representing clients in this outbreak and in the unrelated cyclospora outbreak linked to Del Monte Vegetable Trays, said, “This illness is horrible and preventable. Our clients have missed time from work, have been seriously ill, and have accrued medical bills just because they ate a salad at a fast food restaurant. McDonald’s sells a lot of salads, so this outbreak will likely continue growing and more McDonald’s cyclospora lawsuits will be filed as more people are diagnosed.”
Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite that is endemic to tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. There are cyclospora outbreaks every summer in the U.S., that have been linked to produce such as raspberries, snow peas, and cilantro. The FDA has not yet identified the ingredients in the salads that are contaminated with this pathogen.
Anyone who is experiencing the symptoms of cyclosporiasis should see their doctor. This illness is treatable, with sulfa-based drugs. Symptoms of the illness include frequent, watery, and explosive bowel movements. Patients may also experience bloating, gas, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps and pain, and fatigue.
